Where's Robin?
by Glimare
Summary: It was an accident. Wally did it. Now Robin's gone. Is he really gone though? Alien tech makes them question what they saw. This hope keeps Batman sane. and the team keeps everything else together until the bird's return. sister story to 'Without Me' so stop asking for me to tell you where Robin is!
1. Ch 1 Accident

**Disclaimer: ***Sigh* must I say this every time? Well I don't own anything I write here besides the story itself. The characters and world belong to DC comics

Okay, this is the sister story to 'Without Me'. I will be continuing both of them here on the 20th, mostly for my own amusement. For those already reading it, this is the other side of the story. This story's going to be shorter than Robin's side, mostly because Rob's gonna be talking to people a lot more in that one. this one's going to have a lot more "torture Wally" bits though. XD Thanks to whoever suggested they wanted to know the other side! the idea was contagious.

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><p><em><strong>Where's Robin?<strong>_

**Ch. 1 – Accident**

"Wally just put that thing down." Artemis started, annoyed beyond anything. They just finished a mission, infiltrating an Intergang warehouse and finding out where they were getting their tech. The place ended up getting blown up. Oops. But Wally still managed to get himself a souvenir.

No one was quite sure what it was. A strange box with handles on either side, buttons on top and some strange crystal coming out of one end. KF kept the crystal away from him, but kept holding it and tinkering with it. He grinned. "No way! Until Flash and Beetle gets here, I'm gonna see how this thing works!"

"Nothing's worked yet," M'gann said in his defense.

"Maybe it's got a deadlock," Robin offered, going directly in front of the speedster. He leaned over it to check it out better. "Huh, can't make out a pattern on the buttons."

"We'll figure it out." Kid Flash grinned impishly, tugging at the handles for a moment. They slid outward and lights appeared under the button. He grinned. "Cool."

"Ah, KF?" Robin started, alarm coming to his voice. "I think we should put it down now."

"You're joking right?" The redhead quickly pressed the buttons, grinning from ear to ear. Artemis stomped forward to stop Wally while M'gann floated back from shock. Kaldur was in the next room making the call to Batman while Conner and Red Tornado talked off to the side about what his pets left behind that day. KF squeezed one of the handles to keep it from falling out of his hands.

"No seriously Wal. You need to put this thing—"

A blinding light surged out of the crystal part of the machine, slamming into Robin head on. An ear splitting snap instantly followed, jolting everyone in the room to attention. Everyone had managed to close their eyes in time to save themselves from blinding, but it didn't save them from the sight they soon had.

"Way to go Baywatch!" Artemis yelled, blinking away the dots in her eyes. "You just found an alien flashlight!"

He didn't answer. Wally gaped at the open air before him, still holding onto the machine. Soon everyone else was too. Before him was nothing but the normal empty air. No Robin in sight.

"Robin?" The boy asked weakly.

"ROBIN!"

Everyone in the room rushed forward, trying to find their youngest member. Kid Flash just stared forward weakly in shock. "Where's Robin? Where is he? What happened?"

"KF, what did you do?" Artemis turned on Wally, still unable to say a word. The pure horror on his face was one no one would forget.

Kaldur ran back into the room, urgent curiosity on his face. "I heard a noise. What happened?"

"I think…" Wally started weakly, still horrified, "I think I just killed Robin."

Everyone stared at him, unable to argue and too horrified to agree. M'gann's lip trembled, on the verge of tears. Conner seemed shaky, unable to completely grasp the concept. They way Robin acted, he seemed invincible! Artemis looked ready to tear Kid Flash apart.

Kaldur just gaped at them in disbelief. "What? Killed… Robin?"

"YOU IDIOT!" Artemis lunged at Wally, throwing punches at his face within a second's notice. The machine fell from his hands, still glowing and ready to fire again. M'gann gasped and stopped its fall before it could cause anymore damage, but didn't stop her friend from pummeling the speedster to the ground. "WE TOLD YOU TO LEAVE IT ALONE! PUT IT DOWN! DON'T PLAY WITH IT! YOU AND YOUR STUPID SOUVENIRS! NOW ROBIN'S DEAD AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"

"ARTEMIS! STOP!" Their leader pulled her off their teammate, hoping to calm them down and find out the truth. Kid Flash did nothing to retaliate nor help, the horror of what happened still plaguing his face. It was clear he felt he deserved it. The older boy struggled to keep her under control. Kaldur turned his gaze to Red Tornado who let all this happen without a word. "Is this true? Is Robin…"

"Insufficient data." The Android turned to face the teenage leader. "Light blinded all sensors the moment Robin disappeared."

"HE SHOT ROBIN!" Artemis shouted animatedly. "WHAT MORE PROOF DO YOU NEED?"

"We don't know what that thing is!" Kaldur reminded her. He looked back to their den mother. "Then it's possible he just vanished like he always does."

"Do you hear any laughing?" Artemis pulled out of his grip, glaring pure rage as she pointed to KF still on the floor. "Robin always laughs when he goes ninja on us! He didn't laugh! He's gone! There's nothing left of him! Nothing!"

"Indeed," Red Tornado continued. "There is nothing here to indicate Robin's presence."

"I can't find his mind." M'gann turned to them desperately. "Our link with him vanished the instant he…" She couldn't finish. Tears overwhelmed her and she fell to her knees crying.

"So he's gone." Conner murmured, just as horrified as Kid Flash. "Robin is…"

They heard a strained gasp for air and turned to the source. They hoped it was Robin for a brief moment, but instead they saw Wally, still on the floor, unable to cope with what he had just done. He hardly moved from where Artemis was beating him, but tears wouldn't stop coming from his eyes. Slowly he curled up on the floor, cradling his head in agony in his arms. The occasional gasp for air was all they could hear coming from him. M'gann's connection though brought his surface thoughts to their minds.

'_I killed Robin. I killed my best friend. I killed Robin. Robin's dead. I did it. It's all my fault. I killed him. I did it. Robin's dead._'

"M'gann turn it off!" Artemis shouted, her rage giving way to agonizing sorrow. Hearing the ever present horror and pain in Wally's voice, seeing him crumble like this, was more than any of them could bear. Her own pain welled inside her, forcing her to tear away from the group to grieve alone. After hearing Wally's thoughts over and over again, no one could remain upset at him. He was the one who felt the worst about this.

Only one person would ever feel even more upset by this.

Silence permeated the room. No one wanted to say it but it was ever present in their minds. What were they going to tell Batman?

Kaldur looked over his team, then back to Red Tornado. "The league is already on its way," he reminded them. "They'll know what to do."

"There's nothing left of him," Conner muttered, going straight to where they last saw the boy wonder. He stared at the air in such a way, it seemed he was trying to see what wasn't there. "Nothing at all."

No one said anything. Silence ate at them, but it was all they could do. The machine sat on the floor, the glow dying down slowly as the minutes ticked by. That dreaded machine… On accident it blasted a hole right through the euphoria they gained from a completed mission. The loss they all felt filled the room, making everything feel darker and more sinister than it truly was. Nothing could make them feel worse.

_Recognized – Flash 04, Recognized – Blue Beetle 25_

Except maybe that. Artemis and Kaldur jerked around to the Zeta-tube and watched the two leaguers come in all excited. "Hey! Heard you had some cool alien tech here! Where is it?"

Flash's grin would have been spreading around the room if it weren't for the already heavy atmosphere. Blue Beetle stepped up next to the speedster, cocking an eyebrow in good humor at the kids. "Dude! Who died?"

Everyone but Red Tornado flinched. Wally jerked his head up to see his uncle, agonizing terror still controlling his face. Flash saw it instantly and dashed to his side in worry. "What happened?"

"There has been an accident," Red Tornado stated flatly. How else could he say it? Calling it an accident was being kind.

"An accident?" Blue Beetle started, confused.

"Wally what's wrong? What happened?" Flash knelt next to his nephew, worried beyond belief for the emotional state of the boy. This was not like him in the slightest.

Shaking, Wally grabbed his uncle and cried desperately, mumbling incoherently, even for flash-speak. "Itsalmyfault itsalmyfault ididit robinsgone almyfault imsory imsory itsalmyfault"

"Whoa, wait Wally, slow down," Flash tried to talk to him soothingly but couldn't hide the bewilderment on his face as he held the boy. "What happened to Robin?"

_Recognized – Batman 02_

Instantly everyone but the Flashes turned to look at the man coming in. Never had the man looked so terrifying to them than in that moment. And he wasn't trying to scare them in the slightest. Even the confused reserve league member could tell the Bat's appearance filled the kids with dread.

Batman took a few steps forward, about to say his usual first words after a mission, but stopped when he saw Flash comforting his nephew. KF actually turned his head away from his uncle, slowly and filled with more terror than ever before. He made eye contact with the Bat and froze. Now the man knew something terrible had just happened, and everyone else could tell he knew.

Another moment passed before Batman finally spoke, his voice raging to keep under control.

"Where's Robin?"

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><p>AN: wow, the transfer here doesn't like flash-speak. almost didn't get wally's explanation to Barry.

yeah, Wally feels bad and Bats is mad. Artemis is pretty ticked too and lets the guy have it. Reason Conner didn't pound Wally is mostly for shock's sake. And anyone who knows my other stories will see why kaldur's not freaking out. And finally, I've got Blue Beetle in the story! I think I've wanted to put Ted in here for a while so yeah, here he is! Reserve League member Blue Beetle at long last! Not an OC. Do some research, I had to.

Yeah, chapt. 2 will be posted on the 20th for both of these. Read 'without me' to know what happened to Robin! Then I think both will be regularly updated. Got to chapter 12 writing that one so far.


	2. Ch 2 Blame

**Disclaimer:** *sings* 'tis a miracle these things exist! I only wish they were mine to persist! But to avoid DC's vengeful fist, these characters are not mine, something-ist! XD

YAY! I'm back! Well I said I'd update on the 20th. FYI, it's like really early on the 20th for them. they have the whole day to go. XD Anywho, I've now thoroughly tortured Batman with this. It's just too much fun! bats has mood swings too, mostly because he's trying his hardest to control himself. He has to, because he's Batman.

Oh don't forget 'Without Me'! it's updated too. I'll try to update them together as much as I can, unless more time passes in one over the other, then I'll just try to keep them within the same day of each other. But I'm doing three stories here, and I've run into a few hiccups. This one is up to ch 7 and it's brother's done to ch 17, so it'd be a while before I'd stop for unknown reasons, but I need some help to continue them. Read at bottom for details.

NOW READ! I RAMBLE TOO MUCH!

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><p><em><strong>Where's Robin?<strong>_

**Ch. 2 – Blame**

It was Blue Beetle and Red Tornado who stood in between Batman and the Flashes as the rest of the team told them what happened. Kaldur tried to be as gentle as possible, but Artemis spared no one any kindness. Batman listened to every word the kids said, clenching and unclenching his fists often to control himself. There were seconds when he'd glance past everyone to Wally, and glared in such a way they knew he was planning the boy's death. But seeing the boy's state pulled the man back from any extreme action.

Once they finished giving the man their report, everyone fell silent. Flash stared down onto his traumatized nephew, caught between feelings of loss for Robin and anguish for Wally. Neither of them deserved this. One look at the stock still Batman told the speedster he too was caught between feelings. Part of the man wanted to kill Wally for what happened. The other half must have wanted to break down. But he kept still, not moving. Frozen.

After a few agonizing minutes of silence, Batman strode forward, dodging everyone between him and Wally. The boy flinched and his uncle held him closer, instinctively trying to protect him. A raging bat was nothing to underestimate, and no one knew what was going on behind the man's eyes.

The man stopped just short of where the incident occurred, staring at the offensive weapon ending his bird's life. He just stood and stared at it for a good minute before picking it off the ground. The lights had died out, dormant once again. The teens flinched at the sight of it. How Batman could even touch the thing now baffled them.

He turned to Blue Beetle and handed it to him. "Find out what this is and how it works, now."

Batman's voice betrayed nothing. He sounded just as dark and broody as ever, but it was clearly a command. Beetle nodded and took the thing, holding it like it was a bomb. He took a look around to the others for a moment, then bit his lip. "Sorry." In an instant he bolted out of the room to the science center of the cave to figure out what this weapon was.

The bat didn't stop there. His back to the speedsters, he knelt where Robin last stood, looking at the ground. He touched the spot briefly, looking over his glove after a moment. He rubbed his fingers for a moment, then stood up and walked in about the same path as Robin would have been thrown. Often he'd touch the ground and then rub his fingers. He said nothing to any of them.

The team watched, baffled by his actions. Many of them expected him to be whaling on Wally by then, but the man wasn't. Flash was focused more on calming his nephew down than on what Batman was doing, but part of him was grateful the man wasn't pounding the stuffing out of the kid. It was an accident. Like any other stupid kid who found a gun in his parent's drawer, Wally had played with it and the weapon went off. Victim: Robin.

After touching the ground and then the wall a few more times, Batman returned to the center of the room. He brought up a keyboard and started typing. Within seconds, security footage of the past few hours appeared before them. They saw their victorious return once again, then KF playing with the alien tech. Batman paused the image for a moment, then brought up several more angles of the same scene. Each played in unison, one voice coming out of all their past selves' mouths there.

"Wally just put that thing down."

Artemis flinched at her own voice. She should have done something sooner.

"No way! Until Flash and Beetle gets here, I'm gonna see how this thing works!"

"Nothing's worked yet."

M'gann turned away. She should have ended the discussion with her telekinesis.

"Maybe it's got a deadlock."

Robin's voice made every witness flinch. Kid Flash gave another gasp for air before another volley of tears.

"Huh, can't make out a pattern on the buttons."

"We'll figure it out." Somehow the teen disengaged the 'dead lock' and turned it on. It started to glow. "Cool."

"Ah, KF? I think we should put it down now."

The warning in the boy's voice reminded them all how experienced Robin was. He ran across alien tech less than others, but he still could tell when something might be dangerous. Though he too had wanted to have some fun with the device before the League got there, he was no fool. Fiddling with things you don't understand could end your life.

"You're joking right?"

Wally flinched again, gripping his uncle's suit in guilt. Flash held him tighter but looked up at the feed. All the boy had done was press a series of buttons on top, then tried to keep the thing in his hands. Robin just happened to be on the opposite end of the device. If it were pointed the other way, Wally would be the one gone.

"No seriously Wal. You need to put this thing—"

His last words. The last words he'd say were to Wally, telling him to put it down. Oh if only he listened earlier.

Then came the blinding light striking Robin's stomach and the ear splitting snap. The cameras were blinded for a moment, just like everyone else. Batman froze the picture again and started to work them, changing the lighting and scopes to make a clear picture. No one wanted to actually see Robin die, but that was exactly what the dark knight was aiming for.

Under all the interference, Batman finally brought out a clear picture. Flash, Kaldur and Tornado were probably the only ones in the room who could look up to see what actually happened. Robin was hit, thrown back a little, then vanished. Just vanished. There really was nothing left. Nothing at all.

"Way to go Baywatch!" Artemis yelled. "You just found an alien flashlight!"

The deafening silence that followed tore at everyone. Everyone on the screen was staring at where Robin once was, and saw nothing.

"Robin?" Wally's trembling voice at that moment would break any man's heart.

"Get that boy out of my sight."

The controlled rage in Batman's voice was noticed by everyone. He was shaking, stopping himself from doing something rash. Flash knew these signs and nodded. In a blur of red, he picked up his nephew and ran to the kid's room in the mountain. The bat continued to shake, not looking at anyone.

Artemis couldn't bear to watch him or be in that room a second longer. She ran as fast as she could down the hall to the gym to take out her raging pain on an unoffending punching bag.

M'gann looked to Conner, seeing the boy of steel still unable to move from the shock of losing Robin. She didn't want to face this alone either. Quietly she knelt next to him and wrapped her arms around him. After a brief moment, the boy finally responded. He returned her hug and buried his face into her shoulder, sobbing.

Red Tornado seemed to be the only one who stood still. Kaldur, trying to be the responsible and compassionate leader, placed a hand on the Batman's shoulder. "I am truly sorry for your—"

Batman turned abruptly and decked Kaldur without thinking. Aqualad slid back against the floor, not expecting this reaction. M'gann and Conner jolted out of their hold at the sound, gaping at the sight. Red Tornado stepped forward in case he had to intervene, but it wasn't necessary. Batman already started regaining control of himself, still shaking uncontrollably.

"Not now," he barely growled. "Not a word." He turned back to the holopad, obviously wanting to break something. Rumor had it the reason the League used these computers now wasn't because of its space saving efficiency, but to stop certain members from breaking them all the time. It was Batman's forethought.

"Just… Just leave me alone."

Everyone stared at him in silence, still as could be. Silently Kaldur nodded, rising to his feet. He walked over to M'gann and Conner to help them leave as well. They didn't leave each other's arms as they walked out the door to the common room. M'gann glanced once at Batman, showing her concern, but said no words of comfort. What was there to say? Everyone guessed a while ago Robin was his son. All they could do was leave him to grieve.

Red Tornado stayed a moment longer, staring at the Bat. "Shall I inform the rest of the League?"

Batman shook his head. "No. I'll take care of it. I'll take care of everything later."

The android nodded, then turned to leave and join the other teenagers. "Robin is and was a very special boy. He would not want you to grieve."

The man said nothing. Once the robot was gone, he let himself crumble. Falling to his knees, he gripped his head, wanting more than anything to tear himself and everything in the world apart. Bruce already lost his parents. It was what made him Batman. The pain from that one night would never leave him. But this pain… losing the light he had finally gained, losing what hope, what faith he had once again, it was too much. Inside he felt the darkness consume him, hollowing him once again. There was nothing but the darkness, the agony, the rage.

But there was no one he could hunt down, no shadow he could chase after and tear to pieces. Only a scared teenager who was in just as bad a shape as him. Wally West was Robin's best friend. He crumbled with guilt far easier than a murderous scumbag would. That was more than enough punishment. Dick wouldn't want Bruce to kill him over this. He'd hate him if he did. That was not the way to honor his bird's memory.

Grief and rage battled inside him, crying out for vengeance and knowing there could be none. Justice was already served upon the boy. It really was an accident. Stupid kid. Stupid, stupid kid! How could he let this happen? There was no way Batman could stop those two from meeting all those years ago. Just like it was impossible for him to stop the boy from being Robin.

Maybe if he hadn't… No. The team would have formed on it's own as well. Batman did everything he could to keep his little bird safe, but he couldn't be caged. Robins flew free. Dick was raised in a circus. Couldn't be stopped, always moving forward. There was nothing Batman could have done to prevent this.

Frustrated, the man threw his fist into the floor, cracking it and bruising his fingers. The word FAIL appeared beneath him, bating him to punch the display once more. The display appeared again and again he hit it. This repeated several times over and over again. The word haunted him and he kept hitting, trying to somehow succeed. It wasn't until he broke through the Plexiglas beneath him and he ripped out a part in the system that he stopped. No more floor displays would he haunting him now, but the word continued to play in his head.

He had failed. Batman had failed. And Robin was gone.

Tears started flowing under his mask, grief taking firm hold of him at last. A bloodied gloved hand gripped his head as he sobbed, rocking himself slightly. He silently let them flow, unable to forget the smiling boy he took in five years ago. A boy he swore he'd see grow up into a man, swore he'd have a life better than his own, swore to the world he'd exceed all expectations. Now… now…

Batman didn't know how long he knelt sobbing on that floor. He didn't hear the zeta-tube activate. He barely registered the presence of another person in the room. He only realized he wasn't alone when Superman wrapped a firm arm around his shoulders and brought him to his feet. "It's alright Bruce. It's going to be alright."

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><p>AN: Yep, Batman had a complete breakdown. There was nothing to break in that room but the floor. I'd be annoyed at a floor like that too. Remember duck hunt? I always wanted to shoot that dog. same with that floor if it kept telling me i failed.

now for the help I was talking about. I've kinda hit a few walls with a few stories. Running three series here. All the help and ideas would be great.

1- Slade Plan B: need names and positions of people in Haley's circus. Just a little background and really my usual sources online aren't helping.

2- Where's Robin?: How does Roy find out? Bit merky here. =/

3- Without me: need a world wide crisis the whole league would have to take care of that can be handled in a single afternoon, like the whole blocking out the sun mission or the injustice league's plants. Must have people from Belle Reve and Injustice society. Need to empty their base for a few hours so teens can run around unsupervised. No aliens. Ideas?


	3. Ch 3 Or Not

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Young Justice, would i be here? nope! you'd be seeing this on the big screen! or in the comics! unfortunately I haven't even applied to work at DC comics (doesn't their new logo suck?)

Thanks everyone for the ideas! Still could use a great 'get the whole league out of the house scenario, no aliens' idea for 'Without Me', but i think Roy's coming into the story's been solved on here. More Haley's circus names would be great too.

Someone suggested I put this into angst for a little bit because of how this started, but I tell you now! it will get happier! Starting here actually. 'Or not' is one of my favorite Robin lines, right next to 'Whelmed'. Plus we get to know a few things about the Super family here! Yay! Clark starts getting some sense!

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><p><em><strong>Where's Robin?<strong>_

**Ch. 3 – Or Not**

"How is he?" Diana asked the man of steel as soon as he left the Batman/Robin room. Her concern as a friend was evident, but her grief from hearing about the boy's death still shook her calm exterior.

Superman was still struggling with the news. It was not yet common knowledge. Diana was with him when Superboy called. The clone called him on a JLA frequency, almost desperate. It was clear how much pain he was in, but more so how much he worried for Batman. He wouldn't have called at all if it weren't for the tales of Batman and Superman being best friends.

"Please, you have to come!" Conner begged. "It's Batman! He can't… he's just… Robin's… Just get over here! Please! He needs you!"

Superman wasn't sure if he'd come if it weren't for the pleading in the teen's voice. On most occasions, Batman didn't need help, nor want it. And if Robin was with him, there was nothing to worry about. But the scared, worried voice the boy used was just like his own when he begged for his Pa to help him with a ewe on the verge of dieing. So he came straight over.

Seeing Bruce in such a state was all he needed in order to know what happened. Conner mentioned Robin. There was only one answer.

"Not good," he answered at last. "He can't take it out on Wally, and there's no body for…"

It took all his strength before not to cry with his friend, but now it was nearly impossible. Bruce was like a brother to him, Dick like a nephew. There was little to hide between the three of them, and despite the rift forming between them concerning Conner, they still understood each other. "Great Scott, what are we going to tell Alfred?"

It was likely the old man would be devastated at the news, maybe even die from it. Their small household had lost so much in their lifetimes. Losing one more of them could destroy them forever. It was already likely the Batman would never take to the streets again. How could he in this state?

Wonder Woman lowered her head sadly for a moment, then stepped forward to wrap her arms around her comrade. Superman graciously accepted and returned her embrace. Tears flowed down his face at last, letting out the grief of losing their youngest member of the superhero community.

In the room behind him, Batman laid on Robin's bed, the bed he gave him when the kids were given the mountain as a base of operations. It was once his room. The walls were soundproof. The security was highest here. When Robin visited the League late at night, he'd sleep there. Truthfully, it was more Robin's room than Batman's. There were even photos of the two of them back when he was a child lying about. The early days. The best days.

Bruce pulled off his cowl as he picked up each picture, remembering when they were taken. One was right after a Joker case. The two of them were still grinning from the toxins. Another was before he exchanged his pure yellow cape for his current one. He complained it was too long, but Alfred convinced him the extra safety was important. Lately Robin argued the cape was a burden and he wanted to ditch it entirely. A third picture was of him riding on Superman's back, flying excitedly. He always wanted to fly. And another, one the boy copied many times later, was of the early League and his friends, all smiling together.

It was before Kaldur joined them, but the bonds between mentors and protégé's were apparent. Flash kept his hand on an excited Kid Flash to stop him from running off. Speedy stood proudly next to Green Arrow, as if trying to blend into the League itself. Robin though grinned from ear to ear right in front of Batman. Batman had both his hands on the boy's shoulders, not to keep him there, but to stop him from making silly hand gestures while the picture was being taken. It was the fourth attempt. Robin was responsible for two failed tries, KF for one.

Those two… always making trouble for the League. Though both could he counted on in the field to behave, behind closed doors they always managed to get someone riled up and another rolling with laughter. And when Roy joined in, the three of them were unstoppable.

'_Now look at them,_' he thought, present times coming to his mind. Speedy had pulled free of his mentor and become Red Arrow. The idea behind the name was to pay homage to his ideal of Green Arrow before he actually worked with him. In a few years time, Batman was certain he'd be part of the League. Maybe sooner. Oliver should be proud.

Kid Flash was growing nicely, despite his teenage awkwardness. In time he'd make a fine adult, but who knew what title he'd give himself. That was if he survived what just happened.

And Robin… Thinking back to Robin, it hurt. He imagined how the boy would grow into a fine adult. He prayed once he'd take more after Roy than Wally, but also hoped he'd keep his boundless faith in people. Batman never wanted to disappoint the boy. And now…

A new wave of grief flooded him, forcing him to curl up again. He clutched the League picture to his chest and rocked himself as he cried. This pain was too much. Robin gone. Dick gone. His son, gone. They only signed the papers to make it official a few weeks ago. Father and son. Now just a man without a boy to bury.

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><p>Superman knelt down next to the spot he found his friend earlier, trying to fix what was broke. Batman's blind fury only harmed himself thankfully, but the computer was having trouble functioning without that part. Once it was back in place and repaired best he could, he saw why the man had ripped it out. FAIL appeared on the floor beneath him, right where the hole was situated.<p>

"Look at this."

Diana's voice brought the kryptonian out of his reprieve and he stared at what she was talking about. Apparently, before Bruce's breakdown the man was working on something. The security footage of the moment everything he held dear was taken from him. Batman had modified the image to see exactly what happened perfectly.

"Oh God." Superman couldn't stop himself. Bruce was always one to torture himself with the death of his parents or a person they met on a mission. Now he was torturing himself with the death of his son. No wonder he broke down.

"Doesn't it seem a little odd?" Diana turned on the man of steel, dragging him out of his thoughts.

"Odd?" He turned on the woman, frowning. "Robin gets killed and you think it's odd?"

"By Hera. Just look at him." She pointed to the screen again, making sure he saw what she did. At the instant Robin was struck, there was no change in his expression. He didn't flinch like he would when hurt. In fact, it was as if a pillow had struck him and he was just pushed backwards. Then his simply vanished.

"Wait, what?" Superman stepped closer to the screens. "That is odd."

"No screams, no grunts, and the noise," Diana turned the audio back on and played the scene again. When the machine fired, there was only a whine. When the light struck Robin, there wasn't a sound. A second later, when Robin vanished, there was the ear splitting crack. "It comes only when he disappears."

"But what does that mean?" Superman tried to make sense of it. "What kind of weapon is that thing?"

"How's Batman?" Both leaguers turned with a start at Conner's voice. The teen had pulled himself together enough to approach them. It was clear he was trying to be strong, but his red rimmed eyes told them differently.

Superman looked to the floor, avoiding the overwhelming feeling he had every time he saw the kid. He didn't really want to hurt him, but it was still hard getting used to the idea of having a functioning clone, let alone one who tried to be like him of his own accord. Bruce called Conner his son. He wasn't ready for anything like that. The idea was just too much at the moment.

But Bruce just lost his boy. How many changes would Clark have with this one?

"Not good. Not yet at least. Give him time." Superman heard the footfalls of Red Tornado and looked up at him. "Why didn't you call us after it happened?"

Tornado paused right behind Conner, almost as if he stood there on purpose to force the man to look at him. "Batman said he would call when he was ready. Considering the circumstances, I thought it best not to do anything rash. There is still insufficient data."

"Insufficient data?" Diana stepped forward, her confusion mingling with an idea. "Why do you say that?"

"Due to the light and sound, one can not be certain what took place at the moment in question."

"What do you mean?" Conner looked over his shoulder at the android. Far behind them in the doorway separating the common area to their main hall, stood M'gann and Kaldur, both unsure if they should be part of this conversation. "Robin's…"

"All sensors indicate Robin is no longer in the mountain," Tornado informed them. "Communications are severed. But there was no heat given off during the flash and no residue indicating bodily decomposition."

"Meaning?" An inkling of hope entered their minds.

"There is no physical evidence of Robin's death."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Anyone watch Justice League? there was this episode where superman "died" but there was nothing in his place, nothing at all. It was this one thing that made Bruce think Clark wasn't really dead. Sometimes the lack of a body is all the evidence you need to start looking for the truth. When Bats was checking the ground earlier, it was with the same intention to prove whether Robin was dead or not (checking for ashes or something to prove there was a body there). But seeing the feed kinda knocked that out of his head. Silly Brucie... Should have kept a cool head. then he wouldn't have had his breakdown.

Ah yes, Clark and Conner have already started connecting a little in my earlier stories (just a little). And the tales of Bats and Supes being friends goes back to being the World's Finest. I think Conner and the rest start seeing Bats as an Uncle because of all the things he does for them, plus he actually listens to them and cares so much for Rob. Conner seeing Bats in this state would get him to call Clark in desperation. He's the only person they know he's close to who's not Rob! So yeah, they'd have to call him in to help Bruce.

And tornado would be the one to make everyone doubt what they saw. An impartial emotionless android would be able to make them think differently with the truth. Kinda like this one.

To satisfy other readers, there will be wonder woman in this story more than the others. The big three are friends after all. Diana wouldn't just abandon Bruce, but she's not as close to him and Robin as Clark so she's a little standoffish. I'm not supporting WonderBats in this universe. JL tv series sure, but not here, not yet. Need proof.

Dang I'm rambling. Help still needed for other stories! glad you enjoyed!


	4. Ch 4 Indications

**Disclaimer:** Wow, look at all the stories I've written here. Fourteen and growing. how many chapters total? no clue. But you'd think after so many disclaimers i wouldn't have to explain it all again. no on DC character ownership. Will take offers to work for them though. =D

Dude, if you're keeping up with me and my other stories, I know you know Robin's alive. now everyone here needs to know. Oh, and you're gonna kick me later when someone tells you exactly what that thingamabobby is. *evil laugh* Thank you everyone for crying! you make me grin.

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><p><em><strong>Where's Robin?<strong>_

**Ch. 4 – Indications**

The fastest teen alive couldn't go anywhere. All he could do is hold on tight to his rock. Wally couldn't stop crying, couldn't stop seeing it, couldn't stop thinking over and over again. '_Robin's dead. I killed him. It's all my fault. I killed my best friend. Robin's gone because of me._'

"Imsory" escaped his lips constantly as he shook uncontrollably. Uncle Barry held tight to him, vibrating in time. He wouldn't leave his side for a second. Hiding in their old room, the Flash tried soothing the boy best he could, but nothing really seemed to help. Wally wouldn't be able to get past the guilt for quite some time.

It was an accident. It really was, but the boy wouldn't see it that way for a while. All he saw was his friend gone. It killed him inside. And it killed his uncle twice as much.

He knew and loved both these boys like they were his own. If it weren't for Robin, Barry doubted he'd be able to accept Wally as a nephew so easily. And how he gained superspeed so quickly after they met, it still floored him. But a child hero wasn't new, and Batman had done a great job with Robin. Taking in Wally seemed the natural course. Helping him any way he could was just how they were.

Slowly he rocked the boy, hoping to slow him down. This constant shaking wasn't good for his body. Who knew when his metabolism would start breaking down his muscles for energy? The kid needed to slow down soon or he might start withering away before he came to terms with what happened. Silently he prayed the kid would pass out. He didn't need to torture himself anymore than he already had.

Someone knocked on the door. Flash jolted his head up, praying it wasn't Batman about to take his revenge. But Batman didn't knock. He told Flash to take his nephew out of his sight. If the dark knight wanted to, he could have killed Wally earlier. Why come by now, knock on the door, and attack him? So, not Batman.

"Who's there?"

The door opened and Blue Beetle popped his head in. "Flash, I need a second opinion on this thing."

The speedster looked down at his nephew, still crying his eyes out. "I'm a bit busy here Blue."

Blue Beetle nodded, understanding what he said fine. It didn't stop him from taking out his specialized gun and firing something at the boy. Despite both their superspeed, neither Flash could stop the shot.

"What did you just do!" Flash glared his outrage at the reserve member, pulling the projectile out of his nephew's body. A dart like always. Blue didn't use normal bullets after all. The hole it made in the boy was closing quickly, and the kid wasn't shaking as much.

Blue Beetle shrugged, putting his gun back where it belonged. "A long lasting sedative. Should keep him quiet for at least an hour with your metabolism."

Of course, as soon as he said this, Barry could feel the boy go limp. Wally was out cold, already dreaming of something horrible. It pained him to see the kid torture himself so much, but what else could he do? He wasn't about to pass out earlier, and coaxing the speedster wasn't working either. Besides, Flash had originally come over to check out this device.

Slowly (for him) he placed the boy into his bed and wrapped his blankets around him. He only removed the kid's goggles in hopes he wouldn't hurt himself as he slept. And the kid needed sleep. He gave a quick glare to his comrade before leaving the boy's side. "I still don't like it. And if I come back and find out Batman murdered him in his sleep, I'm holding you just as responsible."

"You and I both know he won't," Blue retorted. The two started down the hall, eager to check out what they had. "And if my assessments are right, then you'll have some great news to tell your protégé."

"What?" Confusion took over Flash's face. "What do you mean?"

"You'll see. I just really need a second opinion."

"A second opinion?" Frustration entered his voice. "Blue, don't beat around the bush here. What did you find out?"

"Find out for yourself. I can't influence your discoveries." The man obviously wanted a certain outcome, but in the face of science, the more people proved a theory without any connections to each other, the better.

"Robin's dead," Flash emphasized, a bite coming to his voice. "My nephew pulled the trigger."

"That's a matter of opinion."

"Do you even care?" Outrage filled his voice as he turned on the reserve League member. More intimate members knew Kid Flash and Robin well. The reserves rarely met them. How could they care about two sidekicks like he did?

"Robin was the one who got me into the League Flash." Blue Beetle glared back at the senior member. "Found out who I was all to get his neighbor a Christmas present. Batman approached me after he did and got me in. Of course I care about this."

The scientist shook his head as he led the way to the lab. Flash stared after him. He never knew how their other lead scientist joined the League. It did sound like something the dynamic duo would do, especially Robin. He really shouldn't have jumped the gun on Blue's demeanor. He was right after all. For anything in science to be proven as law, there could be no bias between assessments.

On a countertop in the lab, sat the offensive weapon. Next to it were several holoscreens displaying several analysis scans results. Beetle stepped aside to let Flash take a look at them. "I just want everyone to keep things in perspective so we get all our facts straight first. Take a look at what I found and see if you can see something I haven't. We need to be sure."

Flash glared at him for a moment, still not happy with how he treated Wally, then zoomed over to the screens. Quickly he read each one, scrolling through them within seconds. As he read, his scowl disappeared and disbelief took its place. "This isn't possible."

"That's what I thought." Blue Beetle came up from behind him, both coming to the same conclusion. "It's definitely not from Earth, but we've seen this kind of tech before."

"It's not a weapon." That was one solid piece of information both were certain of. The energy output wasn't concentrated enough to kill a person. To kill anything really. "It's a…"

In an instant Flash ran out of the room straight back to Wally. He tried to shake the boy awake. The kid had to know this, now! "Wally Wally Wally Wally Wally Wally Wally Wally Wally Wally Wally Wally Wally Wally Wally Wally Wally!"

The boy didn't budge. He did moan from whatever nightmare he was having, but that was it. Blue Beetle's sedative was quite effective. "Come on Wally! You've got to hear this!" A touch of desperation entered his voice. But the boy remained still.

"Gah! Why do you sleep like the dead?" Within a split second, Flash bolted out of the boy's room to search the mountain for Batman. Next to his nephew, he had to hear this first. He barely dodged the group in the main hall, but stopped for a moment when he spotted Superman. "Hey! SeenBatman?"

Everyone stopped talking and looked at him in shock. "Um… in his old room."

"Thanks!" And he bolted back down the hall to the living area before Superman could warn him away from the Bat. Though the speedster knew on most days not to disturb the man, especially when he was brooding and depressed, he pounded on the door like his life depended on it. Maybe it did.

The door didn't open even after a solid minute of knocking. And at superspeed, it sounded like a machine gun. Normally the dark knight would fling the door open and demand answers after knocking like that, but this time nothing happened. Plan B.

Within seconds Flash vibrated through the wall and stood before Batman, a grieving decowled Bruce sitting in the edge of the bed. The man was clutching a picture, but that didn't matter at the moment. What he just learned was.

"It's not a weapon! It's a transporter!"

Bruce stopped his monotonous rocking, his breath catching in this throat. He looked up to Flash with a desperate shock no one had ever seen on him before. A glimmer of hope came into his haunted grey eyes. "What?"

"That device! It's not a weapon! The energy output doesn't match anything we've got. It's too widespread and gentle! And it's ion trail, it's closely related to Zeta-beams! Which means—"

"He's alive." Hope flooded the man's face, bringing back what everyone saw come when Robin entered the man's life. "Dick's alive."

"High possibility. Still missing though. But dead? Not likely. Where ever he is, I'm sure he's working his hardest to get back home. He's a survivor."

Instantly Bruce took to his feet. He replaced the picture to where it belonged then pulled his cowl back on. Batman's face became firm, not an ounce of weakness. All this grief and rage from before seemed to vanish. Suddenly Flash knew how thick the man's mask really was, and how much it varied depending on Robin's situation at the moment.

Within seconds they were out of the room, joining the others before the holoscreens in the main hall. Artemis and Wally were the only ones not there, but both were overly emotional about this. The others, though close to Robin, reacted differently. It was just how they were. Blue Beetle was before them, explaining what he and Flash concluded.

"Based off the energy alone, I can determine it's similar to our Zeta-beams. Can't trace it though. Batman!" The tech genius looked at the two men coming in, a grin coming to his face. Conner and M'gann were becoming hopeful by the second while Kaldur watched the Leaguers talk. "Flash told you the good news I see."

"Have you tried contacting Robin?" Batman demanded urgently.

Red Tornado answered. "All communications connecting to Robin B-01 are disconnected."

"No GPS?"

"No signal whatsoever."

"Superman." Batman turned on the man of steel who shook his head. Like his pal Jimmy and Lois, he gave Robin a high pitch signaling device should he be in a bad spot away from Batman.

"I can take a quick run around the globe if that'll help," Flash offered. Now that Robin was likely alive, and Wally was out cold for an hour or two, he really didn't have to protect his protégé from Batman. He wanted to help. The sooner they found Robin, the better off everyone was.

Batman shook his head. "Not necessary. If there isn't a signal from Robin by now, then he's not on Earth."

A few of them nodded. It was nearly three am, the 20th. It'd been nearly four hours since Robin's disappearance. The boy would have signaled them by now. Only answer was he wasn't in a place he could contact them.

Batman brought up a holopad and started typing away, bringing back up the video feed from before. He stopped it at one point, when Kid Flash was joking around with the device. By pure chance the speedster had disengaged the 'dead lock' and activated the device. At first it did nothing but glow. He started the feed again.

"Cool," KF murmured on the screen.

"Ah, KF? I think we should put it down now." Robin interjected

"Batman," Superman interrupted, "What are you doing?"

"You're joking right?" KF continued before them, a grin on his face

"Trying to figure out what happened." Batman stopped the feed again, looking from window to window to get a good look at the buttons the speedster pushed. He had to slow it down to watch the sequence. "Once we know what we're dealing with, we can find a way to get Robin back."

Everyone exchanged glances, some knowing what to do while the others became more and more confused. All they knew for certain was Robin hadn't died. He just wasn't there with them. The senior members of the League jolted into action, each reaching towards their communicators.

"Hal," Flash started, turning back down the hall towards Wally's room. "Get to the mountain asap. Got some tech you should see. What? Quadrant 2491?"

"John! We need you back at the cave," Wonder Woman called. "Your expertise is need."

"Guy! Zeta-beam into point 003. We need you to… NO YOU CAN'T BRING A DATE!" Superman barked back at this Green Lantern. "Just get over here! And tell us of any other alien tech experts you've met. We don't have much time."

"Mind taking a look at what we've got?" Blue Beetle asked Red Tornado. "You might have some idea what we're dealing with."

"Affirmative. It would be the appropriate course of action."

"What do you want us to do?" Conner asked Batman, ready to help at a moment's notice.

"Get to bed," Batman ordered, not taking his eyes off the screens. "You've done all you can for tonight and there's school in the morning. I'll send excuses for Wally, Artemis and Robin, but there is none for the two of you."

"But we can—"

"Robin hates missing school," the man informed them. "He worked hard to get where he is there. The least you can do is not miss your classes."

The alien teens exchanged glances before nodding and heading to their rooms. Kaldur stayed where he was. He had yet to know what he should do. Though in the field he was a capable leader for his team, here he was another soldier. Batman seemed to ignore his presence, like everything else in the room as he watched the feed over and over again.

"I said get to bed."

"Forgive me," Kaldur started, "but I do not have school like the others. There is much I can do to help."

"Then do it." Batman gave him a glance from the corner of his eye. "Call Aquaman, come up with theories, make your best guess. Anything you think will help, do it. You're old enough to stick to your convictions."

The Atlantian hesitated. He was not used to so much freedom to act. In truth there was little he could do. He just wanted to be told what to do so he could help. Batman seemed to shake his head. "Thought as much. Leaders can't stay as soldiers Kaldur. You have to step forward on your own sometime."

Batman opened another window and started running some scans on the hall where the incident occurred, his attention completely focused on the task at hand. The young man didn't move, seemingly unable to make up his mind. Again the man shook his head. "Go talk to Artemis. Tell her what's happening then make sure he gets to her room. She should be in the gym."

Kaldur nodded, a bit relieved. Before entering the hall, he turned back to Batman. "Should I inform Red Arrow as well?"

"He'll learn soon enough." Batman typed a few bits of code more before mumbling, "Sorry for earlier."

Aqualad nodded, a small patient smile on his face.

* * *

><p>AN: YAY! now everyone but wally and arty has hope! Arty gets some next so don't fret. Wally would have had some too if Blue Beetle's shot hadn't knocked him that far out. Seriously, if I were in their position, i would have shot wally too. Since he can't vibrate, he'd get shot in that state.

I wasn't quite happy with the inaction the kids have in this chapter, but I couldn't figure out what to do with them. Out of the three of them, I only care to play with Conner. He's just a bit easier than ditzy alien girl and the boring one I made a traitor elsewhere. Kaldur's inability to function as a leader outside of the field kinda irks me, so I think it'd irk Bats just as much.

Yes bats recovers a bit too quickly, but when Robin's involved, he doesn't hesitate. This will come to bight him a little later though. *evil grin*


	5. Ch 5 ThoughtFilled Sister

**Disclaimer:** I know I usually have something witty, but I'm tapped out. DC owns young justice. I just like to torture people.

Okay, I've put the option out there on 'Without Me' so I'm posting it here too. I know I wanted to do both stories at the same time so everyone could stay on the same date, but I thought it over. 'without me' was the original concept and the suspense in that one would be lessened if I went any further in this one for a while. So, question is: can you stand having a hiatus on this story until a certain point in it's brother? I'm pretty far ahead on that one so it will be updated daily for quite some time. And as soon as one near end chapter is posted, I'd get back to posting this one daily. I kinda want a larger lead on this one anyway. Then it'd be just as continuous in updates. I'm pretty sure you'd like the end result at the least. Tell me what you think.

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><p><em><strong>Where's Robin?<strong>_

**Ch. 5 – Thought-filled Sister**

Artemis was ready to collapse. For nearly three hours she worked herself hard. She went from destroying punching bags to running treadmills to archery practice, anything to keep her from breaking down and crying again and again. But it didn't matter what exercise she did. In the middle of anything she did, she'd remember what happened then start sobbing.

She couldn't control it. Robin was one person she related to best. He was like a little brother to her, the kind you'd expect to throw rubber snakes on you at random moments for kicks. He never coddled her, lied, or expected too much from her. His smiles were infectious and he could get Wally to cool it within minutes. He broke tensions so easily, diverted people from fights, and best of all, he could manipulate any League member into doing things with them. Since he had no powers and was so friendly, it was easier to open up to him.

And she was certain he knew about her dad but didn't judge her for it.

Deep inside, Artemis knew she could trust him with anything. Several months back she thought if he was just a few years older she'd date him. But he was still just a kid, and frankly even she could see he liked Zatanna.

Zatanna. Oh God. What were they going to tell her?

Artemis stopped, exhausted in the middle of her latest exercise. Beating this wooden practice dummy was the last her hands could really take. Her knuckles were covered with blood and she was certain she wouldn't be holding a pencil, let alone a bow, for a day or so. She was covered head to toe in sweat, and some blood had made it down her arms. Even the tears on her face mixed into the mess she had become. A mess she once hoped she'd never be again.

She thought back to her training with her father. That bastard… He wouldn't let her leave their private gym until she really couldn't move anymore. Blood on her fists wasn't that uncommon for her. The scars there opened up quite frequently. She had cried the whole time, but kept her face hidden. Showing weakness of any sort meant another fist to her gut. He didn't care she missed her mother. He didn't care she wanted her big sister back. He hardly cared at all.

Then she thought of Batman. The controlled rage in his voice when he demanded to know where Robin was. How he shook when he found out. He really was plotting revenge on Wally for a few seconds, then looked away at the sight of his son's best friend in pain. He cared. He cared very much about his Robin.

Her memory drifted to a better time not too long ago. Most of the team was in the common room, going between the TV and the kitchen. She had become bored and wanted to see if anyone was coming in that day to give them training or set them on a mission. She just happened upon seeing Batman and Robin coming in. The boy was joking around with words again, and Batman was shaking his head in annoyed humor.

"It's not a word," the man explained, probably having said it a million times by now.

"But it's FULL of DANGER. What else can it be?" Robin reasoned, smiling as always.

"Dangerous."

"Now it sounds like a chemical." He flashed a grin faster than the eye could see.

Batman gripped his cowl, seemingly anticipating a headache. "No wonder your English teacher keeps calling. Do you argue with him like this every day?"

"Take its out-furiating huh?"

Batman didn't even say a word. He just looked at the boy, almost as if he was being deliberately crazy. He gave a frustrated sigh before roughly running his hand through the boy's hair from the back. Robin laughed impishly, but Artemis could see the affection in his face. Any physical contact from Batman seemed to be appreciated, and this kid did everything to get it.

That kid had everything she wanted, everything she wanted to become. And at the same time, she wanted to protect what he had. His devious tricks weren't malicious, and he supported her when she needed it. Likewise she wanted to support him. Maybe it was her natural instincts as a woman, maybe it was because of the bonds they made in a crisis. But she didn't want this to happen.

She didn't want to see Robin die. She couldn't bear to see Batman break down. She didn't want a family like that be destroyed.

Stupid, stupid Wally! Why did he have to have those souvenirs? Sure a few of them came in handy, but couldn't he leave well enough alone? Intergang played with some seriously dangerous things. Or dangerful as she heard from Rob. His word play became a team joke after a while, and everyone used them to annoy the League. Now they wouldn't have anything new to use on them.

Stupid Wally. She wanted so much to beat him black and blue, but once she saw him crumble like that, she couldn't do it. They were best friends. Of course this would kill the speedster from the inside out. With Robin gone… like this… she doubted Kid Flash would run again. One shot can end two lives. Didn't she learn that before from all those shootings at her old schools? One shot was all it took.

"Artemis?"

Kaldur's voice brought her exhausted form back to the present. Slowly she turned to look behind her to her team's leader. Calm and cool as ever, he didn't lash out earlier when Robin… She shook her head to clear it. Kaldur was only calm for everyone else's sakes. As leader, as the oldest, he had to keep a cool head for everyone else. They needed a rock, and he was it.

Still, could it kill the fishboy to show some grief? He knew Robin longer than she did. How could he stay so composed? Conner broke down, M'gann was trembling, and even the other Leaguers earlier were horrified. Red Tornado being cool headed had a great excuse. He didn't have emotions. Lucky robot. She could only imagine what Red Arrow's reaction would be when he found out. And Kal just soldiered on.

"What?" She didn't mean to have that much hate in her voice, but it just spilled out. She wanted to see him grieve, just a little bit. She needed to see him have more emotion than a fish. Were all Atlantians as cold as him?

Kaldur came to her despite the venom in her voice. There was something in his eye, something telling her what he had to say was important. Gripes. He was becoming a leader more and more every day. "Blue Beetle has verified what the device is."

"Good," she bit back. "Now we know what to put on Robin's tombstone. 'Here lies Robin, killed by Alien Flashlight' just sounds so wrong."

"It's closely related to our zeta-tube technology," he pressed on, ignoring her sarcasm.

Artemis blinked, a small glimmer of hope coming to her. "What?"

"According to what was discovered-" he started, but she would not let him finish.

"Are you saying Robin's alive!" She couldn't help but think of their failsafe training mission. She heard from M'gann afterwards about the small hope they had to everyone in the mission being alive, just somewhere else, when the more experienced team members IDed the tech in it being like their zeta-beams. A small hope was all they had when they made their final stand there. Was it possible the simulation had predicted this in some way? Could Robin really be…

Kaldur nodded. "It is a high possibility. The League is looking into—"

That was all Artemis heard before she sunk to the floor in front of him, her hands covering her mouth to muffle her gasps for air. Tears streamed back down her face in relief. Robin. Alive. '_Please, please! Please let that be the case! Please let him be alive and come back to us!_'

She shook uncontrollably as Kaldur knelt down to comfort her. She didn't hear a word he said. All she heard was her own silent prayer to whoever was listening for Robin's sake. She just got a new family. She couldn't stand losing her little brother. He had to come back home. He had to!

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><p>AN: I really feel Artemis is closer to Rob than the others, and one reason she joined them is because she wants what Robin has, or at least protect what he does have so someone can be happy. Yeah, it's fluff, but I like fluff.

So, can you stand a hiatus? it's not a bad point to wait at here really. Wally's recovery and Roy finding out can wait for a bit.


	6. Ch 6 Plans to Sleep

_****_**Disclaimer:** Do you think this'd be on if i owned Young Justice? Nope! I'd be ranking in the dough instead! But i'm still poor. Too bad.

TADA! Hiatus here over, 'Without Me' now on hold. This remains the answer to all the people asking what's going on in Robin's world. Once Bats is sent to the other reality, both are going to be finished. So, without further ado, Back to the story! Remember, it's day one in 'Without Me' so it's basically chapters 5 - 10 for a bit if you want to correlate them time wise. Enjoy!

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><p><em><strong>Where's Robin?<strong>_

**Ch. 6 – Plans to Sleep**

Of all the League members to identify the alien device, no one could have guessed it'd be Guy Gardner. He was the rudest and most infuriating Green Lantern of them all, fighting every fight he could blindly. In this man's case, everyone agreed with Batman's assessment of the Guardians of Oa. Their standards for the Corps were too low.

John Steward kept shaking his head at the man. Hal would have too, but he was deep in space at the moment. His com was open to them and he listened to everything they said. His input was just as valuable as the rest, even if he wasn't there.

But Guy was the one they owed for the intel, despite his cocky attitude. Took nearly fifteen minutes to get him to stop laughing at them for losing Robin. Batman's glares had little effect on this Lantern, but his bunches worked wonderfully.

"It's a storage transporter from Volvion," he growled once he caught his breath. He glared at the senior Leaguers for a moment, then to John who shrugged at him, as if saying he earned it.

"Volvion?" Hal said over the com. "The junk collectors world?"

"Yeah. They use these do-hickies to send things into another universe where their planet is completely dead."

"Then why all the buttons?" Superman asked quickly. Earlier he had compared the device to the phantom zone projector and realized they both bent space, but in different ways. The projector only had a few buttons to turn it on and use it. This thing had as many as a TI-36 calculator.

Guy shrugged. "I think they found other universes to trade things with. Wanted access to them. According to what I know, these things just shove things through a small barrier between dimensions. No harm, no foul."

"Does the location change?" Batman demanded instantly. Guy seemed like he wanted to have a glaring match with the man, but everyone had warned him not to test Batman further right then. Guy was a reserve member and new at that. He didn't know how much Robin meant to the Bat. Not until now.

"Nah, same place, just different universe."

"So Robin's in an alternate dimension, but still in the mountain?" Blue Beetle surmised. Guy nodded.

Everyone exchanged glances, some more worried than others. If in the other world the mountain hadn't been hollowed out, Robin would be dead. If it was and the team was there, there'd likely be a fight before they figured things out. If the League was there still, they might help him go back home. If the occupants of the cave were evil, Robin was in for the fight of his life. And if it were empty, who knew what the kid was thinking. There were too many options.

Still, he was on Earth. Just not their Earth.

Everyone was about to breathe a little easier when Batman moved on to the next question. "How do we bring him home?"

Guy looked up thinking for a minute before looking over the machine again. "Normally, they put tags on their things so they can pull their junk back through. They're usually on the bottom of these do-hickies."

He lifted the gizmo up and looked at the bottom. He frowned. "Don't see any here."

"Are you saying," Diana emphasized, "that the only way to get Robin back is for one of us to go after him, tag him with something we don't have, then get pulled back through universes to world again?"

"Pretty much." Guy set the alien 'storage gun' back on the table, pointing at a particular button on the side. "That's the retract button. KF must have hit the send button. The other buttons determine what world the kid went off to."

"Jordon," Batman started, "how far are you from Volvion?"

"Pretty far. It'd take a month to get there from where I am." Hal wasn't happy about this, and they could tell. "No shortcuts straight there from this sector."

"How'd you get there then?" John demanded from Guy.

Guy shrugged. "Hitched a ride on some strange ion trail. Haven't found it since. I was lost for three months remember? I was lucky to run into other lanterns to recharge my ring."

"What about merchants?" Batman demanded, his attention completely on Hal's voice. "Are there any merchants out there that would have these tags?"

The senior Green Lantern didn't say a word for a moment, then they could hear him smile. "I know of a few. It'll probably take all day to check them though. Think you can keep yourself occupied until then?"

"Just. Get. The tags," Batman growled through clenched teeth.

"Don't worry B. I'll get 'em. Robin's a tough kid. He's been through worse, remember that."

Hal cut himself off, probably to avoid any angry comments Batman had for him, but there weren't any. Batman merely nodded, silent as the grave. Only those who knew him well could tell he was worried and anxious over his boy. He hated having to wait on someone else to save him. Robin was his responsibility, his charge. But without Hal or Guy, there was nothing they could do to get the kid back home.

Superman put a hand on his friend's shoulder, giving him a comforting smile. "Hey, there's a chance now. He'll be back before we know it."

Batman glanced at him for a moment, then looked at John. "From where Jordon is, how long will it take for him to get back to Earth?"

John hesitated, glancing once at Guy who stepped back. He did not want another punch from the dark knight. The man took a deep breath before answering. "About a week. It depends on how many wormholes he can find and how long it takes to find those tags. And that's if everything goes well on the return trip."

Batman clenched his fists, everyone knowing full well things rarely went well when you're talking to Corps members. A week was standard travel time. Unforeseen events would add to it. Hal wouldn't ignore a crisis in front of him and he had a knack for finding trouble at the most inconvenient of times.

"Think you two can meet him half way?"

Guy and John looked back to each other. Batman couldn't order them around for anything but League business on Earth. Supporting another Green Lantern was part of their duties with the Corps. Normally they'd have at least one GL there to safe guard Earth (since it had a knack for attracting interstellar trouble), but meeting up with Hal and making the trip faster and easier on him would make it easier for things to return to normal. Batman didn't give orders to them very often anyway, and asking for help wasn't usually his style.

John nodded. "Don't have any pressing business here."

"Think you can watch Coast for a while?" Guy pitched in. He was just glad he could leave without another sucker punch.

"We'll keep tabs on everything," Diana informed them, a small smile on her face.

Both lanterns nodded then proceeded to leave. The big three and Beetle watched them go, knowing they were Robin's only hope at the moment. And with him, the dark knight's.

He leaned on the countertop, his eyes not really seeing anything. The man was on the verge of collapse again. The whole night he worked on the images, finding the exact sequence Wally pressed on the device. If those were coordinates, they now had them. All they needed was the tags and they'd be able to get Robin home. Once he was back, they all could breathe easy, for both of their sakes.

Batman may not be the crumbled up mess he became when he thought Robin was dead anymore, but knowing the boy was still far out of his reach was enough to tire him. He hadn't rested the whole night, not even for one of his famous ten minute naps. He hadn't eaten. Even the coffee Superman prepared for him was untouched, and the man practically lived off the stuff. Worry ate at him, making everything hard to bear while his bird was away.

"I think I hear my bed calling me," Blue Beetle said awkwardly. It was clear he shouldn't be there when the three wanted to talk freely with each other. Quickly the man made his way to the door, where he stopped face to face with Conner. "Whoa there."

"Find anything new?" the young kryptonian asked. He was prepped for school, but the worry on his face reminded them he cared just as much for Robin as they did.

"Uh… yeah." Blue slid to the side to let the kid go into the room. He really wanted to get out of there.

"Really?" Earnest hope jumped out of his throat, making him look at each adult in the room like a begging puppy. He wanted to know. Conner's eyes stopped on Batman, and even more concern than before entered his face. Just like Robin, Batman never showed weakness in front of them. Not 'til now.

Batman straightened himself and looked evenly at Conner. He nodded firmly. "We have an idea of where he is and how to get him back."

"That's great!" They heard Megan's voice mix with Conner's, both elated there was news.

"It may take a week though to retrieve him," the Bat added, bringing them back to reality.

"A week?" Conner jolted forward, worry coming back to his face. "Why?"

"We need some tags in order to get him back," Superman explained quickly. Batman really was in no condition to debrief anyone. "Unfortunately anyone who could have them nearby are about a week away, via Green Lantern flight."

"Couldn't you—"

"I'd need a space shuttle," the man of steel admitted. Even he had his limits. "The Lanterns are faster in space than I am and last longer too. All the javelins are being repaired from that last space fiasco. This is the best we can do."

"But—"

"Get to school," Batman interjected. He knew Conner was only trying to help, but there really was nothing more they could do. "We'll keep you updated."

Conner looked like he was going to say something more, but Megan put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a small sad smile. The adults could tell they were having a mental conversation, one causing the boy to look back to Batman with concern. It didn't make them feel very welcome, but it was enough to make the kid nod once and start walking. "Okay. Later then."

"See you after school?" Megan asked quickly.

"We'll see." It was enough for the teens, and they finally left the doorway. Blue Beetle rushed out as well, casting one last look at the three before leaving. Down the hall they could barely hear Megan reminding herself about cheerleading practice. Finally the door closed.

And Batman collapsed. Sheer force of will only lasted so long under these circumstances, and for the past few days the League kept calling the man in for different cases around the globe. Other than sending the kids off on a mission the previous day, he hadn't been able to talk face to face with Robin for nearly a week! Now they'd have to wait another to converse at all.

Then there was the fact that he hardly slept those days.

Superman caught his friend and Diana helped him back to his feet. "It's alright Bruce. We'll get him back soon," she said in soothing tones. Batman didn't respond.

Superman felt the man shake in his grasp, but not out of grief like the previous night. This man physically couldn't take much more. And knowing him, after a few minutes rest, he'd do everything he could to keep busy until they had the homing beacons. Bruce pushed himself too hard.

"Come on Bruce. It's time to get some rest." The man nodded dumbly and the two of them slowly walked around the counters to the door. Diana peeked out to make certain no one was there (it wouldn't do anyone any good if Batman's strong image was destroyed) before the three of them made the long walk to Robin's room. The Amazon snuck off when they crossed with the medical wing, leaving the men to continue alone for a while.

"You're going to sedate me aren't you?"

The man of steel chuckled. "Ever observant aren't we?"

The Bat rolled his eyes, having regained some mental focus. His friend eyed him for a moment, then continued. "You haven't treated your hand yet."

Batman grunted. "Damn computer's fault. Who kept that program up?"

"Don't know." It was hard for the man not to chuckle again. "Anyone could access it. Hate failing don't you."

He grunted. They finally made it to the room and quickly Batman punched in the code without a sound. Diana caught back up with them, bandages and syringe ready to be used. "I thought—"

"Don't worry about it princess," Batman stated. He wasn't going to fight them this time. "It'll probably be the only sleep I get for a while."

Once inside Bruce took off his cowl and sat on the bed. He glanced at the pictures while his friends worked on his hand. Robin smiled joyously back at him, ready to say something silly and clever, just to make him smile. He thought of the random hugs the kid would give out and how much he teased just to get a small punch in the arm. Never could control his mouth. Heart always in the right place. He'll be home soon. '_Just wait a little longer old chum._'

He didn't fight as Diana put the needle in his skin. He just laid down gazing at those pictures, ignoring everything else. Bruce would only allow them to knock him out this one time. One day of forced rest. After that, the criminal world better hope Robin found a way home on his own. Batman needed to hit something other than a sobbing teenage boy.

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><p><strong>AN:** See now why I had to stop here before? I set a time limit in this chapter and if you knew that way back at chapter 5, you guys wouldn't be enjoying a wonderful cliffhanger! *cackles evilly*

One thing I like to note is that even though Batman is mr. larger than life, he's still human and can't keep functioning forever under these circumstances. yes the human will is strong, but eventually the body wins. Hence why his friends decided to drug him.

I think that's gonna be the last you see of Ted Kord here. Guy and John will return when Hal makes it to Earth, but I think that's all the extra leaguers I'm gonna put in. Don't quote me. Only thing I really know about Guy Gardner is that he's cocky and loud. basing a lot of particular characters off of brave and the bold here. shame that one was canceled.

Lil' supey's gonna be asking about Robin a lot, mostly because he can and really should. He's too cute like that. What Wally's up to is in the next chapter.


	7. Ch 7 Shell Shocked

**Disclaimer: ** So I popped over to this alternate world today and found out i don't own DC comics characters there either. That sucks.

Now that I've made it clear why I stopped for so long, I'm just gonna have to warn you that with this one i probably won't be doing daily updates. I'll try, but i really am not that far ahead here, plus I have to correlate events between the two stories. =/ so sorry. I'll try to keep this guy shorter though because i wanted less to happen here anyway. Once we're past initial reactions, i'll keep things to the minimum necessities. =P So sorry.

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><p><em><strong>Where's Robin?<strong>_

**Ch. 7 – Shell Shocked**

Flash couldn't get it. Why was Wally still asleep! Blue Beetle's sedative entered his system around three that morning. It was getting close to one. Other than rolling to his other side and curling into a fetal position, Wally hadn't made a single move since his uncle left him.

The teen's back faced Barry, and the man couldn't understand why the kid stayed asleep. There was a hot meal waiting for him. No one was angry at him anymore. The best news in the world was waiting for him once he got up. And the whole day his uncle was free. It was one of the few days he had off from the lab in Central, and thankfully things had been quiet on the Rogue front. Barry only left for two hours earlier, just to tell his and Wally's family what was going on and why the kid was staying at the mountain for a bit.

And yet the kid wouldn't wake up! The sedative would have worn off on a normal person by now! There was only one conclusion, and Flash didn't like it. "Wally, quit faking. Just get up already and eat."

The bundle on the bed shifted slightly but didn't respond. "Wally…"

He continued to say nothing. Finally the fastest man alive's patience ended. Batman was right about one thing with kids. You couldn't coddle them forever. Faster than the eye, Barry jumped up and yanked the kid's blanket off of him, forcing him to turn onto his back. Glaring, he shouted at the boy. "Cut it out! Your self pity isn't helping anyone!"

"But I—" Wally's pain filled eyes begged for his own end, both hurting his mentor and infuriating him. The kid was in his own world.

"Robin's not dead!" Barry insisted. "Yes, you shot him with some weird alien gizmo, but you didn't kill him! You sent him to a different universe, that's all!"

The thought struck Wally like a ton of bricks. Apparently this wasn't exactly what he needed to hear after all. "That's all? I shot Robin! He's gone because of me!"

"He's not dead!"

"Dead, gone, what's the difference!" The teen folded his arms across his eyes, wanting to cry but unable to. He lost too many liquids already. "It's all my fault! I shot Robin! I hurt him!"

"He wasn't hurt," Flash tried to insist. According to Guy, the process is supposedly painless. Just temporarily blinds and deafens people if they aren't prepared.

"I sent him away! He's gone because of me! He's all alone!" Wally gasped for air for a moment. His crime wouldn't go away, even if Robin wasn't dead. He over heard Barry talking to himself earlier, trying to find a way to tell him Robin was okay, just not there. But KF and Robin were best friends. He knew what Robin feared most: being alone. Everyone knew he was happiest when he was either with his friends or with Batman. He probably fought harder because people were with him and he wanted to stay with them. Being shoved into some alternate universe was condemning the kid to his worst fears. As his best friend, how could he do that?

"It's my fault," he cracked weakly. "All my fault. Robin's gone and it's all my fault."

Flash stared at the kid. Already he was looking weaker and thinner than normal. His metabolism was going to eat away his body at this rate. Stress wasn't helping, and neither was the kid's refusal to eat. He had to get this kid out of his slump.

Determined, Barry put his cowl back on and glared at the kid. He grabbed one of his arms and pulled him out of bed in an instant. "Get up. Now."

"Wha—"

His uncle didn't give him another second to gather his senses. He ran full throttle through the quickly opening doorway, dragging the kid along. He didn't care much if Wally had his feet underneath him or not. They weren't going far.

Within a few seconds they were in the main hall. Batman was standing at the computer typing away, his own sedative having worn off fifteen minutes ago. Flash didn't stay put while Wally was sleeping. Every ten minutes or so he checked around the mountain in case Robin found a way home. He knew that kid could do anything if he put his mind to it. Batman was on his feet, working on several things in the cave instead of in Gotham for the same reason. He was waiting on the slim chance of Robin coming back on his own.

Wally saw the dark knight and in an instant started to shake. Flash gave him a cold look. "Do you honestly think he'd kill you now? He's had all the time in the world when I went out for a bit, and when you were out cold. See? He's ignoring you. That's a good sign. He's not mad at you."

The teen didn't stop shaking. He only stared at the man still working on the computers. Wally knew there was no forgiveness for what he had done, and this was the avenging angel. He had no right to be on any terms with this man. It was probably only his oaths to justice that kept the teen alive.

"Finally awake." Batman murmured, not looking at them.

"Mostly," Flash agreed. Suddenly Wally dropped to his knees, shaking uncontrollably. Flash jolted, falling beside him in a panic. "WALLY!"

The dark knight turned to look at the boy for a moment. Pure terror and guilt remained on his face. There were no more tears, just extreme shellshock. Not an easy thing to come out of.

"Wally, listen to me. Everything is going to be fine! Robin's alive, no one's mad at you, everything's going to work out."

"All my fault," Wally whispered. "It's all my fault. He's gone and it's all—"

In one swift movement, Batman left his holopads for the speedster, pulling him to his feet by his shirt. Before the Flash realized what he was doing, the dark knight's fist slammed into the boy's cheek. A little blood spurted out of his mouth as he toppled to the ground. Flash jumped to his feet enraged.

"BATMAN! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING!" The uncle grabbed the man by his shirt, ready to hurt him just as badly for striking his nephew but didn't get the chance. Coldly, Batman slipped out of his grip and calmly walked towards Wally.

The boy still stared at the ground, no longer shaking. It was as if everything was snapped into place in his mind. While in his small daze, Batman's boots came into view and stopped.

"Feel better?"

Slowly Wally nodded, focus coming back into his eyes. Batman extended his hand to him and after a brief moment he took it. Flash stared in disbelief as the man helped the teen back to his feet, their eyes only on each other.

"Robin will be back in a week," Batman informed him, releasing his hold on the kid. "He'll decide your punishment then."

Hope filled Wally's eyes, making it easier for him to smirk about it. "Bet he already has something cooked up."

"No doubt. Now get something to eat so you'll live to see him." With that Batman returned to his computer screens and the project he was working on. Wally nodded and went to his baffled uncle, wiping away the blood on his face. Batman hit him hard, but not in a place that'd break bone or loosen teeth.

He gave Flash a weak smile. "Sorry about being such an idiot."

Flash didn't answer. Unsure how Batman did it, Wally was back to normal, if not a little more mature than before. Quickly he grabbed his nephew and held him close, receiving an equally strong hug from the boy. "It's alright Wally. Everyone's an idiot one time or another."

The kid gave a weak laugh and loosened his hold. The two separated slowly, glad they were there for each other. Flash ruffled the boy's hair affectionately. "Now get in that kitchen. You're starting to lose muscle mass here."

Wally's stomach growled loudly, forcing him to laugh a bit. He did as he was told for once, letting Flash and Batman be alone for a minute. The scarlet speedster turned on the dark knight, glaring slightly. "Okay, how'd you do it?"

Batman didn't answer at first, finishing whatever report he was working on. He took one deep breath before saying a word. "He's a good kid Allen. He knew any criminal needs to be punished."

"But that wasn't a crime. Robin's alive."

"He believed he killed his best friend. It's hard to change an idea when that's all you can think about." It became clear to the Flash he wasn't just talking about Wally. There must have been a time, or some event, where Batman wanted to be punished as well. "All you need is some sense knocked into you. He wanted punishment. Now he's got it. He wanted forgiveness. He got it. He's lucky Robin really isn't dead and we can get him home."

A chill went down Flash's spine. "Would you have turned him in if Robin was—"

"Wouldn't you?" The glare Batman gave him warned him away from asking anything more. Yeah, they'd be required to present Wally's case to the proper authorities. Whether Batman let the kid make it there in one piece was the only question.

Batman looked back to his typing, ending all discussion. "All we can do is learn from this. And make certain it never happens again."

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><p><strong>AN:** So, my idea was always for Bats to deck Wally and then he'd stop pitying himself. Sometimes when a person's in shock, they just need to be slapped. men don't slap. *evil grin* Now Wally's not really off the hook. In fact, this story's gonna be punishing him several times between events.

Bats is gonna stay at the cave for a while. Also explained why Flash was the first one to be robin's sitter in 'Without Me', besides the obvious reasons stated in that story. Much fun.

Again, sorry for the inevitable lateness of future chapters. It'll all depend on how much I become obsessed with this story. got another one I really wanna work on that i haven't started yet, so these guys are kinda losing steam. XP sorry


	8. Ch 8 Arrow's Fury

**Disclaimer:** Talk about glitches! Not only do I not own Young Justice, but I've been having trouble getting these guys up. =/

Well, remember when I asked a long time ago for a way to get Roy in? He's in. And here he is. If I've got the numbers wrong for the Zeta-tube, tell me. I don't wanna get that wrong.

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><p><em><strong>Where's Robin?<strong>_

**Ch. 8 – Arrow's Fury**

_Recognized – Red Arrow B06, Recognized – Black Canary 10_

"So what's the big emergency that you had to call GA up?" Roy demanded as soon as he stepped away from the tubes. Dinah raised an eyebrow at the young man, hiding a smirk of pride. Very few people got away with being snippy with Batman. Roy was one of the rare few, and it was mostly because the two acted a lot alike.

Batman was still working on a report when they entered and only spared them a glance before shaking his head in annoyance. "Not an emergency."

The red archer groaned in frustration. Count on Ollie to send him and Canary to the mountain for nothing really important. Why was he still obeying the stupid man's requests anyway? Oh yeah, because he used Canary's phone. If the old man didn't have a meeting to go to, Roy would have refused. "Then why did you call him?"

"He needs to get Artemis out of the archery range and back home."

"Is that all?" The redhead tried not to whine at this. He really didn't like the idea of his old guardian using him like this again. There were several instances growing up where the man made him do mundane things just because he didn't want to do them, or dangerous tasks because the man didn't want to risk his own life. Getting the old man's bow from an alligator pit was just one of many instances he never wanted to repeat.

"Why is she there and not at school?" Canary asked quickly. Confusion grew on her face. "For that matter, why are you here?"

Batman said nothing for a long moment. Thankfully both members of his audience were willing to wait a few minutes if it meant answers from the brooding Bat. He finished up what he was working on before he gave them another glance. "I'm waiting. Artemis can explain what happened. Don't break anything."

The man's last warning made the two others exchange glances. It also perked the archer's interest enough to hang around and actually do what his old teacher was expected to do originally. Both Canary and RA strode through the hallways to the in door archery range to find Speedy's "replacement", bouncing ideas off each other's head.

"I bet something at his place blew up."

"Maybe Robin's in medical and can't be moved."

"Why would that girl be practicing here if Robin's stuck in medical?" Roy insisted logically. Batman staying around for Robin's sake wasn't far fetched at all, but what did it have to do with that girl? She had no other connections to them other than the team right? Sure she lived in Gotham, but that didn't give her exclusive visiting rights.

Canary shrugged. "Good point. Why is she still here? The mission last night was a success, wasn't it?"

"Dunno. Haven't heard a thing from Wally or Rob since Monday." He looked around the interior of the cave as they proceeded down the hall, glancing once at what was once Ollie's room there. He remembered redecorating the place once with Robin and Kid Flash, making it a full bat motif. Ticked the guy off but made Dinah laugh for a few minutes. Batman had merely lifted an eyebrow then moved on. Robin said he brought it up once in a while at home.

Frankly he kind of missed this place. Sure he didn't hang out there as much as Robin did back when the League operated from there, but he and the others did have some good times. It was too bad Kaldur didn't join them in their prank wars on the Leaguers. The fishboy was always the more sensible off the group. No wonder he was team leader.

"Does Artemis use Ollie's old room?" Roy asked with a little bitterness. He wasn't too fond of the girl in general, but she was slowly earning his trust. Robin trusted her at least, and despite always arguing with him, Wally agreed she was a good girl. Kal reserved judgment on her since hearing about the possibility of a mole in the team, but he worked with her whenever he could.

Still, that was Ollie's old room. She wasn't his niece. She wasn't even close to being family! It really shouldn't be hers now. Canary though nodded, giving him a slightly chiding look. "Yes. There really aren't that many options Roy. I still use my room and you know how Wonder Woman is about hers."

Roy tried not to groan at the thought. During their prank wars a couple years back, Robin had gotten the three of them in her room for an hour. They messed with the God displays in there and were later rewarded with an intense training session with the Amazon. She was very upset with all of them, and never gave them an ounce of leeway when they messed with her sanctuary. The boy's mentors later managed to get them out of there and lecture them individually about their poorly played joke. In his case, Oliver lectured for two minutes, then laughed, rubbed his head, and took them out for ice cream before heading home.

The archer tried not to think of those good times with Ollie too much. The guy sent him into an alligator pit after his bow for pete sake! Help put arrows together, fine. Clean the car, he could live with that. Alligators? Really, the man had to get his priorities straight.

Like why was he claiming that girl was his niece when she wasn't? It was one mystery he wished the man would just tell him. Robin wanted to tell him what he learned about Artemis months ago, but Batman forbade him. Rob was a bit of a mischief maker, but when Batman gave certain orders, particularly concerning identities, he obeyed. It was staying put and being a little angel orders he completely ignored. That was why people liked him.

But why did anyone like that girl? These thoughts plagued the young man as they made it to the range and opened the door. When he saw the girl, he was surprised she could hold the bow at all. Both her hands were covered in bandages, and the stains on them seemed to be growing as she drew the string back for another shot. Dinah darted to Artemis' side to stop her from permanently damaging her hands from her practice, but Roy just stared.

Even he took a break from archery when his hands were that badly hurt, and he loved it with a passion. Like how Rob wouldn't be him if he couldn't do his aerial moves, or Kid Flash if he couldn't run anymore, Roy knew if he couldn't draw a bow his life would be over. And yet this girl was working so much on her best weapon, she completely ignored her physical condition.

Okay, maybe she was related to Oliver in some small way. Obsessive much?

"What happened to your hands?" Canary demanded, not hiding her concern for the girl. She nearly had to pry the bow from the girl's hands. The look on Artemis' face and the way she wouldn't look at the Leaguer made Roy really wonder what was up now.

"I was beating up Wally," she grumbled bitterly.

At this admission, Roy tensed, rage starting to boil inside him. She admitted to hurting one of his best friends. Any sympathy he had for her and her hands flew out the window. '_She better have a damn good reason or so help me…_'

Disbelief ruled Dinah's face. "What? Why were you—"

"And a few punching bags, and wooden dummies. That idiot," Artemis growled, still not meeting their eyes. It was becoming clear she was controlling herself and her hands probably suffered more than the speedster had.

"Artemis, what happened?" Black Canary demanded, her hands gripping the teen's shoulders tightly. Roy stepped a little closer to the two but still gave them a wide berth. Something was clearly wrong.

The girl archer finally looked up into the woman's eyes, a controlled fire burning behind them. "He shot Robin."

A cold wave plowed into the two caught in the dark. Roy's arms dropped helplessly to his sides, not believing what he just heard while Canary stopped still, frozen. Neither could believe it. "What?"

Artemis looked away a bit, taking deep breaths as she tried to explain. "Last night KF found some alien tech and brought it back. He was fiddling around with it and it went off. Robin got hit and now he's gone. Batman said he was shot to another dimension and the Green Lanterns are going after some homing devices to get him back. We thought he was dead at first and I kinda went berserk on that idiot. I think he's still in mental breakdown mode somewhere in the cave."

"Let me get this straight," Roy quickly interjected. He stared at her intensely, wanting to know for certain what exactly happened between two of his best friends. "Kid Flash was playing with some alien tech and shot Robin into another reality?"

"Pretty much sums it up."

The two archers' eyes met for a long moment while Canary let go of the girl to think this over in her own distraught mind. While she picked up the pieces mentally, the young man nodded and walked over to where the practice arrows were. He grabbed a quiver full and headed back out the door.

"So Robin's not gone for good?" Canary asked to clarify for her own sanity's sake.

"Yep. I think Batman's hanging around in case Robin finds his own way back. I was just in no condition to go home last night so I ditched classes today."

"You shouldn't be doing that," Roy heard Dinah say as the door closed behind him. He was grateful for once that she had a bleeding heart and was paying more attention to Artemis than him. It gave him quite the head start.

Instantly he took off, running as fast as he could to the places he was sure to find the yellow speedster. He stopped by Flash's old room first and found it empty. He then swooped towards the kitchen, crossing paths with Batman as he crossed the main hall again. The dark knight didn't even blink. He gave his warning earlier after all.

As he made it to the common area's archway, he notched an arrow to his bow and drew it for his furious assault. Wally was finishing up the remains of probably his second chicken that day when the arrow went flying towards him. It got the bird's carcass, making the fastest boy alive jerk up in alarm to where it came from. His uncle was out of sight, so the teen had no one to protect him this time.

Roy glared dangerously down the next shaft pointed at him. "Run."

Wally didn't have to be told twice. Instantly the speedster was on his feet and running around the room dodging arrows being furiously shot at him. He ducked behind furniture and countertops, but Roy kept chasing him with his ever ready bow. Once the man was out of the doorway, the speedster ran as fast as he could out the door. Roy only paused a moment to gather the arrows around the room to reload his quiver before chasing after him. He wasn't done with the guy yet.

* * *

><p>"Kaldur save me!" Wally ran headlong into his team leader, begging franticly for someone to rescue him from the onslaught of arrows coming his way. The Atlantian turned in surprise at the request, and even more shocked at the impact from the boy's body. Last he saw the speedster, he was still shaking in his uncle's arms. Course that was quite some time ago. Now he was trying to use him as a shield.<p>

"Quit trying to use people as shields!" Roy shouted, notching another arrow in place. He looked no more grumpy than usual. He aimed it just beyond Kaldur's head, directly towards the speedster's hair. "Hi Kal."

"Red Arrow." Kaldur gave his old friend a respectful half bow. "I take it you have heard about Robin."

"Oh yeah. Now get out of the way so I can shoot the bastard behind you."

"Take that back!" Wally shouted over his leader's shoulder. "I'm completely legitimate!" He ducked back down again when an arrow went flying at him.

"You do realize he is alive, do you not?" Kal tried to make peace between them, but wasn't sure how.

"Yeah I kinda figured." Roy's eyes narrowed as he put another shaft to his string. "Batman hasn't killed the little streaker yet, so bird boy has to be alive."

"Then why are you shooting at me!" the younger redhead demanded, still in fear of his life.

"Cause you stupidly shot Rob," his friend stated with less bite than expected.

"That was an accident." Kaldur was trying very hard to defuse this situation, but knew it would be difficult to calm either of these redheads down.

"Doesn't matter," Roy spat back, more annoyed than anything else. "He still shot him."

"How many times do I have to say sorry before you let me live!" Wally begged. He was starting to become desperate.

"Who says I want an apology?" the archer exclaimed. A dark smile grew on his face. "I just wanna shoot at ya."

The teammates just gaped at their friend in disbelief. He couldn't be serious, could he? Roy cocked his head for a moment. "Care to join me Kal?"

"What?"

Wally didn't even wait for a response. He just bolted away from the two of them before anyone could make up their minds. An arrow chased after him for a few seconds before the speedster changed directions. Roy notched another arrow and let it fly, chasing the speedster out of the room for the moment. The redhead looked back to his friend expectantly. "Well?"

"You cannot be serious." The Atlantian gaped at his friend. Surely he didn't really mean for him to join the archer in his attempts to kill his friend.

"Deadly. Wally deserves a few good shots for what he's done."

"But it was an accident!" Kaldur persisted. How could this archer not see it this way?

"I know." The younger man jolted back a moment in surprise at Roy's somewhat calmer exterior. "He'd never hurt Robin on purpose. Still won't stop me from firing a few good shots at him. I bet Bats would join in if he were the joking type. He sure isn't stopping me."

Kaldur blinked in shock. "So this is a joke? Seems quite serious to me."

"Oh I'm serious," Roy explained. "I just know nothing's gonna hit him. Think of it as divine punishment. He needs to know what it's like to be shot at."

"I believe he knows exactly what that's like," Kal replied dryly. He was beginning to get a headache.

"By a friend?"

He took a deep breath before responding. "Did you not use him for target practice before? I recall you telling me about shooting at both Kid Flash and Robin about a year ago."

"Hey! They taped my clothes to the Arrow Car antenna! They should be glad I didn't give them wedgies." That was a particularly embarrassing story GA liked to bring up on occasion, and the two boys responsible were used for target practice until they ran out of Star City. Neither of their mentors objected because agility and speed were both the kids' specialties, and they earned it.

"Never the less," Kaldur enforced, "I do not believe it's appropriate to start attacking my allies because they upset me."

"He shot Robin." Red Arrow's masked face fell into a dangerous glare. "There's no way in Hell he's getting away with that."

The two stared at each other for a good long while, then Kaldur stepped aside, bowing slightly. "If you wish to continue, be my guest. But I will have no part in this."

Roy shrugged, notching another arrow before passing him to the door Wally had run out of. "Suit yourself. Bet the alien couple will join in later, or Blondie of Canary lets her get her bow back."

"I bet they will," Kal whispered as the door closed behind his friend.

* * *

><p>AN: Okay, the whole memory about Speedy and the Alligators, that's one from Batman the brave and the bold. I thought it was one of the best ways to describe their early relationship as far as I can see. Ollie's not the best parental figure. Still, Ollie is his kinda dad, so he does care a lot about the man.

Now the whole shooting thing... well let's think about it. If you just found out one of your best friends just shot another one? What would you do? Well, I'd want to torture the sucker. So here we have Roy doing just that! Since he knows he won't actually hit wally, he's gonna keep shooting at him at random moments. It's practice arrows because the trick ones actually could hurt him. Shooting wally's going to be another running gag going on here.


	9. Ch 9 Signals

**Disclaimer:** really, if I owned young justice, I'd probably lose my rights to it with my own hiatus. YAY for March third!

Yes I am still working on this. Finally got this chapter done but it was like pulling teeth. Hopefully the future action packed chapters I'm aiming for will run smoother out of me. XP Yeah, the teams gonna have quite a bit of action to keep themselves busy later. Plotted all out, just need the motivation to do it. Ugh... I have the opposite of writers block at times: too many ideas! Oh well. This'll explain a few things people have asked in this series, so no fretting.

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><p><em><strong>Where's Robin?<strong>_

**Ch. 9 – Signals**

"STOP SHOOTING AT ME!" Wally shouted in desperation, still running around the main hall of the cave.

Neither Roy nor Artemis gave him any heed as they continued their archery practice, grinning from ear to ear. Both were enjoying their bonding experience, and for once it looked like Green Arrow's protégés were getting along. Canary had returned to medical for more bandages at the moment to redress Artemis' hands and Flash hadn't yet returned from Central with Wally's homework, so neither were defending the speedster. The only other living adult there didn't seem to care.

Batman just ignored them all and continued his work in the cave. His one warning not to break anything was the closest he came to telling them to stop. If any of them cared to find out what he was doing, they didn't ask. Kaldur drifted in once to see what was going on, making a casual glance at the reports the man was making, but it didn't pertain to anything the team was involved in. Gotham had many ongoing cases. No wonder Robin was always busy when he was away.

_Recognized – Superboy B04, Recognized – Miss Martian B05_

"Any news on Robin?" Conner immediately asked in a worried tone.

"WATCH OUT!" Artemis cried as her last loose arrow flew into his face. Conner saw it barely in time and caught it just as it hit his cheek. Though its tip didn't draw blood, he still felt the sting from its point touching him.

"Cool it Blondie!" Wally ordered, zooming just within inches of Conner, glaring at the archer. "You just hit Supey!"

"Are you alright?" Artemis asked in a worried panic, rushing over to the boy of steel.

The alien clone blinked at her in surprise. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Nice catch," Red Arrow commented, approaching them calmly. "But just for future reference, most people dodge when an arrow comes flying at them. Like steaker here." The young man poked Wally with the feathery end of his arrow, hard.

"OW! Knock it off Roy!" the speedster barked back, rubbing his side. He successfully avoided everything aimed at him the entire afternoon. He could only pray his punishment would end soon. If he really thought his life was in danger, he wouldn't have stuck around for so long.

M'gann carefully examined Conner's cheek before letting him go. "Seems alright to me."

"I'm fine," the clone repeated, a bit agitated. "Robin's the one in real trouble. Has anyone—"

"No change on his situation." They all looked to Batman, his back turned to them the entire time they were talking. Given how still he was, they weren't sure he even heard them in the room. For all they knew, the man was a robot.

"Isn't there something we can—"

"When I have something more I'll tell you." Everyone stepped back at the annoyed growl in his voice. They were glad he wasn't aiming one of his glares at them, but they could tell he was debating it. Robin occasionally told them he wasn't as mean as the world thought he was. Right then it didn't look like it. "Until then, business as usual."

"That's pretty heartless," Roy mumbled. Batman looked over his shoulder at them, giving him a hard glare. The ginger put his hands up defensively. Even he didn't test the dark knight's patience too much.

"We can't have the criminal world hearing about this," he reminded them slowly before turning back to his screen.

"So… what, you want one of us to play Robin for a while?" Wally offered, zooming up to the consol in hopes to help somehow. The aliens started at the speedster for a moment, surprised he wasn't avoiding the man. Come to think of it, seeing him on his feet at all was a surprise. Last they saw him, he was still shaking from the whole ordeal.

"Don't be ridiculous." The man didn't even glace in the boy's direction. "Robin's been out of commission before. Just go home. There's nothing we can do until Green Lantern comes back with the homing beacons."

"You're not going home," Artemis noted. The group slowly approached the dark knight, and received by a quick glare in their general direction.

"I don't have school."

"School's out, it's the weekend," the girl retorted back. If he didn't go back to Gotham, why should she?

"And don't you have a day job?" Roy pushed in, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah he's got one," a voice said over the computer's speakers. The teens jumped at the bodiless voice, not expecting to hear anything but the dark knight's growling at them. They tried to find the screen where a face could be shown, but there wasn't one. Who ever was talking, he wasn't going to be on visual. "He just doesn't go there very often."

"Are you going to report or are you just planning on antagonizing me Lantern?" Batman's snippy comment made everyone except Wally back away. He stepped closer to the screen unconsciously, recognition on his face. He knew that voice, even if the others didn't at the moment.

Hal's laugh made the others warm up a bit. "Both I think. I got them."

The dark knight's shoulders relaxed a small fraction, hardly noticeable to the group surrounding him. He nodded. "Good. Rendezvous with your backup Lanterns. I expect you back here before the end of next week."

The group behind him stared at his back. He kept saying Robin would be back in a week. He didn't say that was if Green Lantern managed to get what they needed to save him.

"Uh, just want to tell you a few things first Bats." The man on the other end sounded nervous. "I could only get my hands on two of them, and they're one time uses. They'll fry after you're dragged back home."

"Two is all we'll need."

"Just two?" Wally objected. "But, Robin's rescue party—"

"Will just be me," Batman stated flatly. His dark tone made the team step back again unconsciously. As much as they all wanted to go after Robin, they knew the man wouldn't let anyone else go after his charge.

"Is there any way to recreate the beacons?" Conner asked quickly. He really wanted to make sure Robin was okay.

"Fraid not kid." GL said on the other end. "Problem with this tech is the delicate parts and the rare minerals. They're only on Volvion, and trying to tamper with something like this could destroy it. They weren't cheap."

"How much?" There was a touch of annoyance in the Bat's voice, but he kept his usual growl.

"How about a week long pass to Disneyland and California Adventure for five? Hotel services included." They could tell the man on the other end was grinning slightly. "Kinda missed my nephew's birthday with that last crisis on Oa. I was going to make it up with this cool toy I found out here but had to barter it to get your—"

"Done."

The group jerked around and stared at the man, unable to believe he would agree to that so easily. Wally knew Uncle Hal would hand over the beacons anyway, so really the dark knight didn't have to do anything. Why were the two bartering over Robin's life?

The space cop on the other end gave a quick huff of a laugh. "You really aren't any fun you know that?"

"Just get back here with the tags." Batman's growl shoved everyone back in line. This was his son they were talking about. He didn't joke about people's lives, let alone Robin's.

"10-4. And take it easy on the rest of the world Bats," Hal ordered firmly. "How do you think Rob'll feel if he comes back and you've destroyed it on your end?"

Batman tapped the holopad once more, cutting off the transmission. The room stood in silence for a moment, long enough for everyone to explode at once. "You said he'd be back in a week!" "Who are we waiting on?" "We should be in the rescue party!" "What was he talking about with Disneyland?" "Since when did you have such faith in Green Lantern?" "How long would it have been if he didn't find those things where he was?" "One week! You said one week!"

"ENOUGH!"

All the protégés and former sidekicks took a step back as Batman snapped around, glaring at them in frustration. After one long, terrifying moment, when nearly all of them thought he'd rip into them, he spoke again.

"Green Lantern is the only one capable of this task. And when it matters most, he always pulls through. He reported knowing merchants who would have the beacons. We only require two to bring him home, and the less factors involved, the better. It'll take him a week to get back here, barring any crisis he come across. We've sent the other Lanterns to rendezvous with him to ensure his safe arrival. Robin will be back by the end of next week."

His words sunk into them for a moment before he continued. "In the mean time, it's business as usual. Everyone needs to go home and recover. What you're doing right now isn't helping anyone. Unless you can find a way to send a message to him, you're done here until further notice."

They stared at him for a moment before Wally spoke. "You've been trying to contact him?"

If any of them could look through his cowl, they would know he looked away from them. The speedster's mouth dropped open. "I thought you were working on cases!"

"It's called multitasking." Quickly he turned back to the screens, going back to work.

"When are you going to make contact?" Roy asked quickly.

"The technology is designed for objects," Batman stated flatly to avoid more questions. "Radio transmissions won't work."

"What?" a few of them asked, believing this to be unfair.

"What about sending a letter?" the archer offered this time, cutting off Wally's attempt to say the same thing.

The dark knight seemed to look to the heavens before answering. "That may work—"

"Then let's do it!" Both redheads were ready to charge out the door to get things together when the Bat opened his mouth again.

"Or it may not." He looked back to them slightly. "This device was designed for storage, not for much of anything else. We can't guarantee it'll work."

"Better than doing nothing," Artemis insisted. Everyone else grinned towards each other.

"Besides," M'gann offered, "Robin will like it."

At this, the man looked back to them all, lastly looking at Conner. The clone was giving him the pleading puppy-eye look, one Robin would give on occasion and was only doubled by the shade of the kryptonian's eyes. Turning away, Batman gave in. "Fine. Go make him a care package or something. After your homework's done."

With his approval, everyone darted in different directions to fulfill their personal missions. Once the room was clear, the silent observer Red Tornado approached the dark knight. "You appear to be 'soft' on the team."

"Shut up."

* * *

><p>AN: I've decided Conner has super puppy face when he needs it. And it's a common fact that bats has a soft spot for kids in general, the more issues the better. So yeah, other than making one of them take Robin's place, he's pretty easy to get to agree to their antics. It's supposed to be business as usual, but we all know it'll be a bit before they'll let that happen.

This answers someone's question about signals and messages. There will be an issue about it (since we're far past this day and nothing arrived on Robin's end, remember?) and it will be brought up in the last two chapters of 'Without Me'. I didn't forget, sheesh...

Now for Hal and Bat's commentary, yeah, I can so see Hal doing this. As I recall, those two never really got along so well. Hal would make bats pay for disneyland vacations if he could. The whole nephew idea I got from the movie. *shrug* Honestly don't know why Hal's in space here and on earth in 'Without Me'. I think John Stewart ended up in space after Robin arrived. not sure...

now it's time for me to start pulling teeth again to get the next chapter or two done before going on to action plot and not fluffy fillers. Sorry it's gonna take a bit. Lately it's been like pulling teeth to write non-fluff. Oh well.


	10. Ch 10 Burnt Packages

**Disclaimer:** if ownership of awesome TV shows was possible, there'd be a lot more money in my account. too bad i'm only making ends meet.

YAY! got some writing mojo back! guess that last chapter just took more out of me than I thought. So here's their attempt at contact! Enjoy!

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><p><em><strong>Where's Robin?<strong>_

**Ch. 10 – Burnt Packages**

It was nearing midnight before everyone had gathered again in the main hall with their pieces to the care package in hand. Conner found a small box in the mountain and quickly everyone put in their letters and small tokens for the boy wonder to use until they could get him home. M'gann put in cookies while Kaldur gave up a scarf (it took some time for them to find their leader later and tell him what they learned). Roy put in a silly picture of the three of them back in the day with a note to do it again some time on the back. Wally added a bird whistle to it, saying it was a private joke between them. Conner and Artemis could only give letters with the others. Batman's was just a quickly written note, but a brief look at it stopped any objections to his small token.

_**Stay strong. I'm coming for you.**_

Once all the paper and goodies were in the box, Batman had Red Tornado bring in the offensive device. Wally tensed when he saw it along with many others. Roy glared towards it, wondering silently if that really was the cause of all of this. No one wanted to touch it.

Within seconds a blown up video in slow motion of the sequence KF pressed appeared on a screen. Batman then looked towards Red Tornado again. "Stand where Kid Flash did yesterday and keep it focused on the spot Robin was standing. Kaldur, place the box exactly where he was. We want to recreate the event as much as possible. Everyone step back."

Immediately after he said those words, the floor around the box was free of living people for about twenty feet. Wally was right next to his uncle, almost in the kitchen while the others made certain they were far behind Red Tornado. Batman stayed next to him as he charged up the device. Once the sequence was in place, the android clutched both handles and gripped the send button.

Again there was a blinding flash of light but no snap. Instead they heard something crackle and pop. Once everyone else's eyes cleared enough to see, they gaped at the result. Batman had thrown his cape over a smoldering heap on the ground, smothering a fire.

"What happened?" Artemis demanded, getting close to the man and his smoking cape.

The dark knight growled as he knelt over to pick back up his cape. He looked very odd with out it, and very angry. "It burned up."

"What?" Conner asked as he charged up next to him.

"What do you mean it burned up?" Roy piped in. Everyone closed the distance quickly, staying clear of the alien tech anyway.

"Take a look for yourself." Frustrated, Batman whipped his cape back on as he knelt down next to the remains of the care package.

"It's possible," Flash started, kneeling next to him, "the beam has some kind of mass requirement for transport to work. The distribution of the energy from it is meant for storage. We didn't ask what kind."

"And Robin made the cut," Kaldur murmured in a low tone. Every teenager turned back towards Wally, their faces on borderline murderous. The speedster gulped, his eyes widening in fear. He really had come pretty close to killing his best friend after all.

"How much does Robin weigh?" Flash asked, not knowing the looks his nephew was getting.

"Hundred and ten. The package couldn't have been over ten. Closer to five," the Bat conjectured, analyzing over placing blame.

"So it'd have to be heavier. What do you think the minimum is?"

"Based off of the energy distribution, pressure, and output," Red Tornado surmised, "one should estimate items fit for transport must equal the equivalent of fifty pounds."

"So most people can get through," Flash concluded, "but not most packages or signals. We'd have to make it fifty-one pounds. The heavier the better I bet. Less damage I'm guessing."

Batman shook his head. "Contact Guy. Find out what else he knows about this thing."

"Would have been nice to know about a weight requirement." Both leaguers got off the ground, more frustrated than mad. Batman tapped his cowled ear once as Flash turned to the others. "Well, that didn't work."

"And just how close to killing Rob did _he_ get?" Artemis demanded, pointing vehemently at Wally. The guy looked like he was ready to have another panic attack.

"Not as close as you think. Besides his natural weight, Robin's armor and gear makes him about three times the minimal amount for transport. Add the fact that he's pretty much protected from anything Gotham throws at him, I'd say he's physically fine."

Wally perked up with an idea. "So we can make a bigger package and it should—"

"We don't know how much power is in that thing Wal," his uncle reminded him. "For all we know, the battery's near empty and we have no way to replace it. We can't risk trying again."

"What?" a few of them asked in unison, several faces covered in disbelief. There really was nothing more they could do for Robin after all.

Flash gave a half shrug and a head shake, disappointed in himself and the situation as well. "Look, it's the difference between getting him home and making everyone feel a little better. From this we've concluded he's physically fine. Add in how well we know him and you know he's going to be okay. We just have to wait until we have the tags."

"Damn it."

Everyone's attention turned to Batman as he growled and stomped towards the zeta-tubes. He was clearly not happy with something he just learned, whatever it was.

"What's up Bats?" Flash asked, trying to break the growing mood of the group.

"Multiple breakouts at Arkham. Joker's one of them." Everyone visibly cringed at the mention of the madman. Robin's stories and the brief fight they had with him before was enough for them to have nightmares. How Batman could deal with that clown was beyond them.

"Need any help?" Wally practically jumped at the idea. Anything to get away from the glares he was getting from certain people in the room. Even the psycho clown.

"No need." The Bat looked towards Black Canary for a moment as the tube lit up for transport. "Get the kids to their homes. I'll be back as soon as I'm done."

"But—" The tube lit up, taking the dark knight away before anyone could try and convince him to let them help. The group stared after his departure for a moment before Flash spoke up, shaking his head.

"Typical Bats."

"Okay kids," Black Canary started, finally putting in her two bits. "It's been a long day. Everyone head home and get some rest. Training tomorrow at ten am."

* * *

><p>AN: yep, Bats is gonna be busy for a bit, and so is the team. They really can't do anything more for Robin so what are they gonna do? =P I'm having a friend who'd like to torture Joker just for fun tell me how to work him thankfully. She's so much better with bad guys, especially that psycho.

yeah, i speak star trek. a mass problem and an energy problem would stop them from doing anything more I think. they can't risk losing too much power and it would take a lot to punch people through realities. just a thought.


	11. Ch 11 Escape to Arkham

**Disclaimer: **As much as I love young justice, I can't own it. shame really, I think I'd enjoy it more if I did. =P

Took three days to get this chapter right. I know the end of the hiatus kinda makes my continuity garbage, but who cares! I'm sticking with the cast and crew from before it. Might rewrite one thing in 'Without Me' but that's a tail end thing, no one's read that bit yet. =P

I just find it funny that Justice League: Doom came out around the same time as the hiatus ending. Too bad there's still not gonna be a flash movie, or a robin one. WAAAAAHHHHH! I want barry and tim!

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><p><em><strong>Where's Robin?<strong>_

**Ch. 11 – Escape to Arkham**

"What do we have?"

Jim Gordon turned slightly when he heard the deep voice behind him. It was two am, a cold winter night at Arkham Asylum, and he really wished he was in bed. As much as he trusted his fifteen year old daughter, he didn't want to leave her alone at night either. It was nights like these he wondered what Batman did with his boy wonder, and who took care of him when the man wasn't around. If there was a Mrs. Batman he couldn't tell. No rings on the dark knight's fingers.

The Commissioner raised his cup of coffee as if to drink it as he spoke to the shadows. "Multiple breakouts but only two heavy hitters. Looks like most of them took advantage of their actions and followed after them. Joker fashioned himself a bomb and blew his cell clean open. Unfortunately the cells next to him managed to get holes in them too."

Batman glared in thought. Joker was bad enough, but the people on either side of him were pretty bad too. Scarecrow was in the cell on his right while Mad Hatter was on his left. Crane and Tetch couldn't fight to save their lives thankfully, but they were clever ones, as devious as the Joker once in a while.

"They managed to get Tetch before he left the grounds," Gordon continued. "Along with half a dozen others. But we're looking at seven regular crazies and two costumed ones."

"Have men at their old lairs?" the bat asked quietly.

"Naturally." He swirled his cardboard cup for a moment, thinking out loud. "But I don't think that'll help with those two. You should take a look at Crane's cell. He was working on some formulas on his wall."

"And Joker?

He shrugged. "The shrinks here haven't even scratched the surface yet. I don't see any leads here regarding him, but you may be able to find something."

"Know who his accomplice is?"

"Think it's an inside job?" Gordon raised an eyebrow, passing his coffee into his other hand to warm it.

"How else could he get the explosives." Batman took out a grapple, ready to disappear.

"I'll have my people compile a list of visitors and personnel associated with Joker's latest internment. I'm sending a copy of Crane's notes to a few labs around the area. Maybe one of those eggheads can figure out what he's up to and make an antidote just in case."

"Never hurts." His line shot out and within seconds he was gone. Gordon smirked to himself. Never hurts to be prepared. And they called Superman the Boy Scout. With this thought to humor him, he raised his radio and called off his team from the sight. This non-boy scout needed space to get his job done.

* * *

><p>"What?" Wally gaped at Black Canary the next morning just as everyone was told the name of their training session. Artemis grinned devilishly in response. Kaldur and M'gann exchanged glances of concern while Conner took a step back. Was she really going to have them do this?<p>

Canary smiled pleasantly. Pleasantly being she was going to enjoy watching someone else suffer, border lining on psychotic. "You heard me. It's called 'Catching Lightning'. It's to train everyone on how to stop speedsters or other accelerated objects in case of an emergency or to prevent a hit and run. It's simple. You run while everyone else tries to catch you. How doesn't matter so long as it's not deadly force. Stay in the mountain."

"Can't we do something else?" the speedster's voice became small and cracked at the same time. Conner's confused look was starting to become like Artemis' grin.

"We were going to 'Find the Ninja'," the lady started, her voice dripping with annoyance, "but we're now short one Robin."

Guilt flooded him once again, Wally's gaze falling to the ground. M'gann gave him a sad, near pitying look while Kaldur looked away, controlling his features best he could. A little guilt entered Conner's face as well, regretting his earlier spark of pleasure from hearing of this activity. The archer's smile shrunk, but she was still determined to give it her all.

"Fine," he murmured at last. "Do I get a head start?"

"Thirty seconds. Go."

Wally didn't need a second word. He was off before the sentence ended. Canary gave an amused smirk before looking to the rest. "Now that he's out of the way, pair off. Two of you will practice drills for an hour before relieving the other two from taunting Wally."

"Seriously?" Artemis started, a tad disappointed. "You only told him that to get rid of him?"

"Yes and no." Her knowing smile made each of them curious. "Flash told me running can calm him down. Wally needs to feel useful, so making him the target of the training exercise is a triple benefit."

"Triple?" Kaldur raised an eyebrow.

Canary's smirk became darker than before. "He's still in trouble for what happened. Until Robin comes back and calls us off. It'd be strange if he didn't receive punishment from all of us don't you think?"

Artemis couldn't help laughing a little. Kaldur actually smirked at the thought, shaking his head. Conner looked over to M'gann who looked down in thought. _Everything alright?_ He asked her mentally.

_I just don't think we should be torturing Wally like this,_ she responded. _He already feels really bad about what he did, and every time we learn more, he feels worse and worse. Not as bad as when he thought he killed him, but still… Wally's suffered enough._

"I am surprised Roy is not here for this," Kaldur continued. "He surely would have enjoyed the chase."

"I know I will!" Artemis quipped, making a grab for her bow.

Black Canary placed a hand on hers, shaking her head slowly. "Until those hands heal, no bows."

"Ah come on! How else am I gonna get him?"

"Ease up Artemis," M'gann chided kindly. "If your hands don't heal right, you'll never be able to hold a bow again."

"I have other skills," Artemis reminded them.

"Which will not hold up if you continue like this," Kaldur stated.

The archer glared back at him. "Traitor."

Canary chuckled. "I don't know who you're more like: Ollie, Roy, or Batman. You're all so stubborn."

"Reminds me more of Robin," Conner reminisced. They remembered the last time the boy was hurt. Despite having ten stitches and a fractured wrist, he was still sparing with Kaldur the next day. And he was laughing as he beat his friend, several times. The Atlantian insisted he was going easy on him.

At this everyone gave a reluctant giggle. Artemis gave in, placing her quiver next to her bow at the side of the room. Canary smiled then looked to Kaldur and Conner. "You two are going to chase him first. After you've apprehended him, let him eat something before letting him go off again. The girls will go next. Then we'll switch it up again. After lunch, it's free time."

The team members nodded and split up, ready to get back to work.

* * *

><p>"I'm exhausted!" Wally whined as he flopped on the couch. Lunch was later than normal due to their training, but he had been munching throughout the day so he wasn't as starved as he should have been. M'gann gave him a sympathetic look as she prepared a giant sub for him. Conner was helping her as Kaldur was helping Artemis rebandage her hand. "Can't we do something else?"<p>

"Like what Baywatch?" Artemis glared towards him. As soon as he ate that gigantic stomachache, he'd be right as rain. The rest of them would need more than just a full stomach to be better. Once their leader was done with her hand, he placed an icepack on top. Though she never complained, they all knew she had to be hurting. "Solve world hunger?"

"I was thinking visiting Gotham," he started, bringing out his puppy-eyes. "Maybe helping Batman out or—"

"You know he hates it when metas are in his city," Kaldur reminded him coldly. Puppy-eyes rarely worked on him. "He may even end the team if you attempt to assist him."

"I know," The speedster looked away, cringing slightly, "but I've been in Gotham before and he hasn't blown a gasket. If I keep a low profile—"

"That only worked because he was too busy to help the kid," Artemis reminded him. She knew he was referring to that one time they saved Dick Grayson from Two-Face last term.

"I mean besides that." They all looked at him in surprise and he gave them a slightly sorry look in response. "Rob and I occasionally just hang out there okay? Saw a few movies, checked out the sights, the good parts of town. Never seen the cave or gone on patrol, but I do know some of Gotham."

"Why didn't you invite us!" Conner demanded.

Wally looked away, feeling a little guilty. "Roy sometimes came. We kinda thought you guys would be bored with our plans, and the last time we really hung out was just before summer ended. It's kinda hard to do when we're usually here on our spare time."

Kaldur nodded in understanding, having rarely hung out with anyone before the team formed. M'gann and Conner still looked a little hurt at not being invited at the least. Artemis was just glad they never went to the places she did. She wasn't exactly careful about her ID.

"Regardless," Kaldur insisted, stepping up to the couch Wally lounged on, "we need to tread carefully around Batman. At least until Robin is returned. Everyone in the League steers clear of Gotham, and rumor says until Robin joined him, he would do cruel things to those who broke his rule."

"Yeeeaaahhh… heard that too." The speedster cringed slightly at the memory of the stories he heard from his uncle. Bats was particularly mean to Hal and Superman, but as he recalled the guy super-glued his uncle's ring shut once for interfering with a stakeout. Uncle Barry told him that at first he didn't approve of Robin taking to the streets at night, but he mellowed the guy out a lot so he stopped complaining.

How Superman or GL took it back then was beyond him.

"What? Batman pulls pranks?" Artemis asked in curiosity. The aliens gaped at them and the thought. They knew Wally and Robin pulled pranks around the mountain and on their mentors, but the dark knight?

"They're not pranks if someone's definitely going to get hurt," their perpetual target stated. "If Batman likes you, he'll keep it to words. If he doesn't, it's going to hurt. That's what Robin says at least. And Flash says he's gotten nicer. We're seeing a good Batman, one the League likes."

"Yikes," M'gann started, cutting the sub into smaller servings. "We really don't know anything about the man do we?"

"He's still a good guy," Conner stated, instantly defending him. "I mean, he doesn't ignore us and he gives us freedom to move. I think he genuinely cares. Really. If all he cared about was Gotham and Robin, he probably would have beaten Wally into a bloody pulp by now."

"Thanks." Sarcasm dripped from Wally's lips at this comment. He didn't want to tell them about the punch the other day, mostly because it wasn't for them to know. Batman knew what he needed, and he gave it to him. Then the dark knight forgave him (in a way) when he helped him back up.

_Batman's not as mean as he lets you believe._

That's what Robin said once. The guy wasn't joking. Conner was right. The guy really did care. And now the guy was missing the one thing he really cared about. Because of him. He had to do something to make up for it.

"Still," Kaldur continued, "getting in the man's way is a bad idea. He said business as usual. I believe we should do exactly that. We stay at our posts and do what we can there."

"We really should do as he says," M'gann said in support. "I mean, what would happen if someone found out Robin was missing?"

"End of the world scenario right there," Artemis joked, forcing others to roll their eyes. Yeah for them it was closer to end of the world, but not for anyone else.

Wally looked up at the ceiling, just thinking to himself for a few moments. "Yeah, you're probably right. I think I'll go back to Central after lunch. I'm sure I can find something to do there."

Kaldur raised an eyebrow but said nothing more. Artemis seemed satisfied, turning towards M'gann to make plans for their afternoon of girl time. Conner seemed disappointed, turning away and helping himself to the end of Wally's sandwich. He had his own thoughts on the matter.

* * *

><p>It wasn't until the girls were out and Kaldur was shopping when he left. Conner exited the unfamiliar phone booth cautiously, a map of Gotham under one arm and a bag thrown across his shoulders.<p>

He didn't know a thing about this place, other than both Robin and Batman lived there. Others said it wasn't the best place to visit. Logistics said it had one of the highest crime rates in the nation. Social sites online said anyone could get lost there.

And here he felt like a country bumpkin entering the bad part of the big city. Conner shifted his bag exiting the alleyway. Until school Monday morning, he was going to be there, helping the dark knight from the shadows. It wasn't going to be easy, but if he stuck to street crime he might get away with this. He heard of Arkham and saw Joker once. Batman needed to concentrate on that.

And he wasn't the only one who thought so.

* * *

><p>AN: So Conner's run off, and you can guess who else. Bruce is going to focus on his escapees while the others focus on street level punks for a bit. Obviously, them being them, it won't last long. Besides, Conner has school. of course it can't last long.

Like Catching lightning? I thought it'd be a great game they'd play for training, and the league would probably join in. Great torture too. Might make it a game for the others another time.

Glad the hiatus is over *does happy dance* but sad that I didn't predict what would happen to everyone correctly. So I guess my continuity is strictly after Secrets from now on. *shrug* Still have a lot of stories to write. maybe I shouldn't have set dates on this thing. ^^;


	12. Ch 12 Welcome to Gotham

**Disclaimer:** Since it's Pi day and I don't own pi, I'd think it's reasonable to say I don't own young justice either.

YAY! finally got this chapter done. the flood gates may be opening again too. taking a break and playing with Misplaced was a lot of fun really. So here we have it, people are coming to Gotham city! Enjoy!

* * *

><p><em><strong>Where's Robin?<strong>_

**Ch. 12 – Welcome to Gotham**

Bruce rubbed his eyes, looking away from the screen for a moment. Though Joker and Scarecrow were still out there, there was little to go on. Leg work wouldn't help unless he could identify the substances used for their escapes. He had no doubts the other escapees would be with one of the two; some were old lackeys of Joker.

_You had to be mad to work with that madman_, Dick observed one night many years ago. The boy would often spend his free time down in the cave, watching Batman work as he pulled acrobatic stunts around the place. And talk. It didn't matter what guise the kid used, Dick was a chatterbox. Bruce had no idea how many times he used minor concussions or headaches as excuses to make him shut up.

Hearing the silence now on that night only reminded him how much he missed his little bird.

Telling Alfred what happened was the second worst part of this fiasco. Though the older man was able to keep his face still, slight changes had shown in his eyes. Worry, distress, overwhelming concern, and the grim understanding that they could do nothing but wait. They were the same feelings Bruce tried to bury, and failed miserably. Alfred was just better at controlling it. After all, he buried them every night since Bruce donned cape and cowl.

"And you are certain Master Richard will be home by the end of the week."

"Undoubtedly."

The butler nodded, recomposing himself in an instant. Well, as much as he needed to at least. "Then I believe he has come down with a cold sir. And considering the last time he had one it turned into pneumonia, it is best we keep him home for observation. Master Richard does enjoy playing in the snow after all."

"Indeed he does," Bruce had joined in, both creating Dick's alibi for school and other events. "I'll have him shovel the walk every afternoon for a week once he's well again because of his latest misadventure."

"Hmmm… might be best to call Doctor Tompkins for a check-up," Alred added as a side note. "So his absences do not account against his record at school. And there the matter of his homework."

"I'm certain we can all come to an arrangement," the billionaire concluded. The matter was settled. While Dick was MIA, to the world he was merely being kept home for a cold by his paranoid father. May last longer than when Robin returned, but that was the price for their safety.

The old butler nodded, satisfied. Before retrieving what he came down to the cave for, he looked back to his employer and gave him a stern look. "One child's illness though does not provide an excuse for missing Mrs. Hill's dinner Sunday night sir. Whatever terrors Gotham and its residents have planned for you of late, cannot interfere with a public appearance of Wayne Enterprise's CEO. There is talk of you preferring Master Richard's company over any other mortal on this planet."

He had given a short huff of a laugh, mentally agreeing with the statement at times. Those drab parties were always inconveniently timed, and entertaining the high class of Gotham with his 'dull wit' humor was tiring. He'd rather face Joker or Scarecrow than listen to another of John McMillan's passes at the college caterer.

Joker and Scarecrow.

Both of them were still on the loose and he'd spent nearly all of that day and night trying to come up with leads towards finding them. Before there were victims. Or corpses. But all he could come up with was possibilities of where Joker would strike. Nothing on Scarecrow.

Since Joker had a flare for the dramatic, he would attack some event, public or private. Either way it had to be something big. Something to attract as much attention as possible, and make the largest amount of corpses. Unfortunately there were numerous events going on in the next few weeks around Gotham. Charity parties, park openings, a new reality tv show starting to film on Park Row, movie premiers, competitions, all sorts of events. Most events would be televised. Joker wouldn't stay hidden long.

This meant a lot of Bruce Wayne's time would be taken up with TV viewing and going to said events. It was Joker's move, but once he made one, Batman would be in control. And right then, that was exactly what he needed.

Unable to think clearly, Batman left his chair to go for a late night/early morning patrol. It'd clear his head at the least. And he really needed to hit somebody.

* * *

><p>The east end of Gotham is not a place most people would visit. Maybe once upon a time it was a nice neighborhood, but right then it was one of the worst places on earth. Not only was it owned by one of the Italian mob families, no one wanted to take care of it. If the police ever got there in time to help someone, it was a miracle sent from above. If anyone wanted to pick a fight though, that was the place to start.<p>

It was probably the twentieth drug dealer he'd thrown into the garbage that night, and he was getting tired of it. These guys were literally everywhere! And the general populace did nothing to help themselves or him. Some were willing to just watch. He swore he heard others place bets. At least three people tried to help the man who sold them crack, and each now laid unconscious in the snow.

The show being over, everyone able around him fled. He gave out infuriated looks before sighing heavily and dragging each of these morons out of the snow and onto the concrete stairs nearby. After making sure each person was wrapped warmly, he took out some makeshift rags and tied their hands together. The drug dealer was soon bound and gagged, his product filling his pockets as he was hauled onto his shoulder and carried over to the nearest police car.

Course the trip was no fun for his passenger. Being jostled every which way just because the person holding you couldn't fly wasn't very comfortable after all. The man would have bruises all throughout his torso after this. Their sudden appearance next to the police car and the man being tossed onto the hood didn't help much either. The officers' shocked expression though was quite humorous. That is if the vigilante wanted to see them. He ran off as soon as the package was delivered. Had to keep a low profile after all.

As he ran back through the allies, he strained his ears to hear every sound he could. It was several hours until sunrise and he wanted to do everything he could before it came. He could rest during the day, if he needed any.

Within fifteen minutes he heard the ringing of an alarm and started running for it. It wasn't a smash and grab robbery like the other three he foiled that night. Someone was trying to up the value of the area and opened a pharmacy. This theft was more organized and involved more people than the previous encounters. Plus they were packing heat. Never a good combo.

Quickly he jumped in to the fray and set to work. He caught two men unawares, throwing them into one of the shelves before the first shot was fired. Thankfully the bullet bounced off of him and into the skylight. His new jacket had a hole in it now. He growled at the gunman before launching himself at the guy, ramming him into another wall.

"That's not the Bat!" one of the thieves shouted in surprise.

"Who cares! Shoot him!"

The leader's command made each of his gunmen take aim before the vigilante could raise himself from the knocked out villain. Before they fired though, a red blur zoomed in front of them all, taking the front ends of their larger guns off and removing the firing pins off the smaller ones. Several of the weapons blew up on themselves while others simply refused to fire.

The red blur settled next to the first interloper, smirking and dropping the pieces at their feet. "Looks like I'm not the only one guilty of insubordination," he joked.

The leader of the gang paled instantly, knowing he couldn't win. "Metas."

"Maybe," the first stated. Both boys ran forward together, knocking each man out before they could make another noise.

* * *

><p>"Conner?" M'gann searched the cave for her boyfriend, worried. He didn't show up for breakfast this morning. He wasn't in the library reading. He wasn't watching static on the TV. Most of all, he wasn't anywhere she could think of. Far as she could tell, he was gone!<p>

"Conner, where are you?" she whined, clenching her hands to her chest. This was not good. Not good at all.

* * *

><p>"Dude," Wally started, yawning a little, "when did you get to Gotham?"<p>

"Around ten," Conner explained. He looked the speedster over, surprised to see him acting up outside of his uniform. Wally wore a red hoodie and sweats instead of his usual getup. He still had gloves for the cold, but really he looked like a Flash fan instead of his regular self. The black jacket he threw on after the fight and the black ski-cap made him look more like Robin too. "What about you? Everyone told you to stay home. Shouldn't you—"

"Talked it over with my dad," the speedster explained. "Well, kinda. He said so long as I had my homework and chores done, I could do whatever I wanted. Told him and mom I'd be staying at the mountain until Rob came back. Not too far off. Still need to find some corner to sleep in around here."

"And Flash?" the clone started. "What did you tell him?"

Wally looked away sheepishly. "Well… didn't really. Told him I needed some space so I'm off duty in Central for a bit. And he's pretty busy with my aunt and cases back there so…"

He shrugged, praying internally his uncle wouldn't find out about him being in Gotham. So long as Kid Flash wasn't seen and he kept off Batman's radar, he should be fine. That and not miss school. As soon as he crossed those lines, he knew his time in Gotham was over. "What they don't know can't hurt us. What about you? I mean, you and M'gann have Red Tornado in the cave. How'd you get here?"

Conner shrugged evasively. "I think M'gann will understand, and I won't get in trouble with Tornado. So long as I'm in class on time tomorrow morning, there shouldn't be any problems. Just have to keep a low profile."

"Don't I know it." Wally looked around, hoping the dark knight wasn't in this part of Gotham right then. "Bats hates it when metas are in town, especially from the League, and even more when we don't ask first. Flash said he was worse about it before Rob came around. At least now he doesn't get really grouchy and start putting bombs on your back if you visit."

"Seriously?" Conner only dealt with Batman as a near mentor and almost general. He paid more attention to him than Superman at the least and was trying to help him. But he didn't think the guy was so mean he'd blow up members of the League.

Wally scratched his head, thinking out loud. "Well Flash told me of one visit where Bats was pretty frustrated. I think Joker was involved somewhere. My uncle was trying to talk to him and the guy put a bomb on him and told him to run out into the harbor. Maybe it was bad timing? Either way, he ran, dropped off the bomb then barely made it to land before it started raining fish."

"Raining fish?" the clone cocked his head and raised an eyebrow confused. It never rained fish, right?

"The bomb blew up in the water," his friend explained. "Big boom in water sends fish upward and then gravity starts working. Raining fish."

"Huh," the boy of steel wondered. "Weird."

"Yeah, Uncle B has a lot of fun stories to tell." Wally grinned to himself, shifting his backpack as he looked towards the ground. "Only a few of them are about this place. He told me this was one of the worst parts of town. Crime Alley is next and then a few others. Figured I could disappear here easily enough. Even thought of a place to stay."

Conner hadn't realized where the speedster was leading him until they where there. Dock Street Rescue Mission. A homeless shelter. The clone raised an eyebrow. This is where Wally was planning on staying? "This place?"

"Yep." The speedster grinned as they walked up. "Free food, free lodging, and no questions asked. There's only the periodic weapon and drug searches and you're home free. And if we can dodge social services, there shouldn't be any problems."

"Social services?" He jolted his head around to the redhead, some alarm coming to his face.

"They go after orphans and runaways. Guess we're kinda one of them." Wally took a quick look around. "But since we're only staying for one or two nights, I think we can manage this."

"Think this place can take your stomach?" Conner jibbed.

His friend pouted. "I've got cash. I'll just go to all-you-can-eat buffets and change shirts between takeout places. Won't be that hard. Did you think about what you'd eat? Or where you'd sleep?"

The clone looked away, slightly embarrassed. "I don't need that much sleep or food. Just sunlight."

"Won't be much of that around here. Pollution here's pretty high, especially in the bad parts of town." Wally looked around again and found a couple of empty beds. "Come on space boy, the beds won't fill themselves."

It wasn't long before the two of them were laying down and dozing off. Conner turned his head slightly to Wally in the bed next to his. He was already sprawled out, nearly in dreamland. "This doesn't get you off the hook for Rob you know."

The speedster made a noise acknowledging the statement, but didn't move. The clone smirked then let himself drift off. Without much sunlight, he really would need more common ways of restoring his energy.

* * *

><p>Batman returned to the cave just as the sun was rising. The East End was strangely quiet that night, but the Bowery made up for that. There were two arms dealers and they actually had some valuable intel on Joker. He was gathering explosives and had a large service van. He'd have to look at every other oddball theft for the next few days to figure out what the madman was planning.<p>

In the mean time though, Bruce Wayne had a few meetings and a date to attend. Just what he needed. More busy work. He'd take an hour or two to rest then be out and about once more.

* * *

><p>AN: thank heavens for maps and locations online eh? Plus, No man's land Vol. 1 has a good map of Gotham too. Just need to do more research to make the city more believable here. ^^; if you recognize the shelter, I took it from BTAS season 1 ep 8 - Forgotten. Thought it'd be a good idea to get Gotham right at the least.

Love how both Alfred and Bruce immediately make an alibi for Dick and make plans for his return. If Dick were really gone for good, things would have turned out differently. Leslie Thompkins is another important character/civilian in the batfamily. I'm surprised she hasn't really shown up in any YJ fics yet. =/ Hmmm... may have to sneak in a few more batfam people later on. Brief camios and references only. ;) So much fun.

Still working on this one, not dead yet. Until then, have fun reading!


	13. Ch 13 Lost Volunteers and Parties

**Disclaimer:** If I owned anything beyond what's in my house, I'd be floored. it'd be amazing if I could own his most of all. Think I'd get a stroke because of that. So no, I don't own young justice.

YAY! I's not dead! Well this wasn't really proof read, and I had another scene I wanted to put in this chapter, but it was getting long and I need to head for bed. Got a cameo or two waiting for you. =D

* * *

><p><em><strong>Where's Robin?<strong>_

**Ch. 13 – Lost Volunteers and Parties**

"Where is he?" M'gann searched the entire mountain again and again, looking for her boyfriend. There wasn't a note telling her where he'd gone. There wasn't a sign in a struggle and most of his clothes were still there. He didn't even take any of the personal possessions he'd gained over the many months they'd lived there. So where was Conner?

"I do not know," Kaldur admitted, looking towards the ground. Neither of them understood why the young man had left the other night. He gave no sign of distress or wanting to leave for any reason. His disappearance was shocking to say the least.

The two of them were trying to keep this hidden from Red Tornado and the League. If any of them heard, there would be trouble. Superboy wasn't just with them because of his DNA, or because of a few heroes' sympathies. He was under constant watch to make sure he wasn't a danger to them or the world at large. Though they mostly trusted him, there was always a possibility Cadmus did more than give him life.

Vanishing like this could mean trouble for him in the future.

"Do you think he went to town?" M'gann wondered out loud. Mentally she conveyed another message. _Or maybe to Gotham? Wally kept saying we should, so do you think he actually did?_

"It is possible." _Superboy did not express any interest in going yesterday_, Kaldur agreed. _But he is rather attached to both of them. And he does think of Batman as more a father figure than Superman I believe._

_It's hard not to with the way he ignores Conner_, the Martian noted. _At least Batman listens to everyone and doesn't ignore our existence. Maybe he's trying to be helpful to him or something_. "Hello Megan! We ran out of eggs last night! He probably gone out for some and got distracted by one of our classmates. We should probably go look for him."

"Agreed." _I will try to contact Wally and Artemis as well._ He started guiding M'gann to the zeta-tubes, ready to go with her to the crime filled city. _They may know where to start looking for him. With any luck, we will find him before Batman does._ "Are you certain you are dressed warm enough?"

Quickly M'gann shifted into her human guise, fashioning herself in much warmer wear than she'd normally go about in. "I am now! Let's hurry and get him. I wanted to try a new recipe tonight."

_Recognized – Aqualad B03, Recognized – Miss Martian B05_

* * *

><p>"Hey buddy," some voice above Wally murmured. "It's past one. Time to wake up."<p>

Wally squinted his eyes shut. "Five more minutes mom…"

"Should have thought of her before you ran off kid." Grudgingly the teen opened his green eyes and saw a strong armed black man looming over him with a friendly smile. He offered a hand to him in greeting. "Name's Riley. You?"

He rubbed his eyes before answering. "Easton. And I'm older than I look."

"Sure you are." Riley helped the boy to his feet, a knowing smirk on his face. "Let me guess, you're nineteen and just aching for independence."

"Something like that." Wally looked around, hoping to see Conner but didn't. Strange. "Hey, I came in with a friend. Seen him? Black hair, blue eyes, real moody, grip like a vice."

"Oh, Con. Yeah, he's out back helping with the repairs." The man thumbed over to the back entrance. "Last snow storm really did a number on the roof. Your friend didn't want to hang around useless until you woke up so he offered to help. Nice kid, but really needs to open up more."

"Tell me about it." Slowly the speedster stretched his back and other parts of his body. Gotham nights were cold, and even worse in the winter. Kind of made the guy wonder how Bats and Rob handled patrol this time of the year.

"He got some issue with his old man or something?"

Wally looked at the volunteer, wondering if he was psychic. Guessing by the way he looked at him, he could only guess it was a common theme among teenage visitors. "Something like that. His dad's not really around and he's some kind of big shot. I'm just trying to help him out to tell the truth. My parents know where I am."

"Really."

He tried not to roll his eyes at the obvious skepticism. Central was so much easier to deal with. Why were the people of Gotham so untrusting? If Batman really did grow up around here, he could hardly blame the guy for being paranoid. A byproduct of his environment. No wonder he fought crazies.

As if breaking any tension there was in the air, Wally's stomach growled loudly. Quickly he grabbed it then hunched over before giving Riley a sheepish grin. "Hey, mind if I raid the kitchen? I've got some seriously hollow legs that need filling."

This won him a cheery laugh and a quick guide to the kitchen. The man didn't believe him, but he wasn't about to let the kid starve either.

* * *

><p>Conner actually enjoyed helping the other volunteers repair the roof of the mission home. The people there were friendly and didn't yell at him for breaking one of the beams they were working on. Apparently the Wayne Foundation was funding this so supplies were abundant, and besides, he was a kid just trying to help out. That said a lot about his character to them.<p>

After bending half a box of nails when he hammered them into place, he finally learned how much pressure to put into each tap. The volunteer who helped him out was a shop teacher at Gotham East and also a part time councilor there. His patience and teaching reminded him greatly of Black Canary, making his whole day much brighter for him.

Wally finally came out to join them around three, but he mostly stayed in the kitchens helping the staff out there. He came out only a few times to talk to Conner, passing a message to call him Easton around the place (just in case). The last time he came out was to call everyone back in. The roof was repaired and ready for the next storm, and frankly the workers were idling about chatting about their families and their jobs. Conner didn't really want to leave them. The stories were fascinating to say the least, and all these men were very friendly with him. Despite Gotham being known for its crime rate, it had a lot of good people trying to make it better.

"Learn anything good?" Wally asked when Conner joined him for dinner. It was a light one for sure and the two would be eating when they hit the road in an hour to take on more bad guys, but a little more food there couldn't hurt.

"Yeah." The clone gave him a bright smile as he explained. "I learned how to measure twice, cut once, hammer a nail, use a saw, how to place a beam and how to whistle and hum at the same time. They also told me how to get rid of skunk smell, to let some small splinters fester if they're in too deep, and how to make a fire out of steel wool and batteries!"

"I meant," the redhead explained, flabbergasted that the clone was more interested in common lessons than in important intel for their job, "did you learn anything about Joker's whereabouts."

"Why would they know?" Conner stirred his soup as he explained. "They're school teachers, shop owners and just every day folks who want to help the community. Why would they ever deal with Arkham clowns?"

Wally sighed. "Good point. I was just asking in case we needed to know where not to go anyway. Bats is probably all over that clown." He looked out the window and the setting sun for a moment, thinking. "Well, think we should stay in this area for a bit longer or try another neighborhood?"

The clone scrunched his brow in thought before he took out his map and laid it before them. "Well, what do you know about Gotham?"

* * *

><p>"We're lost."<p>

"We are not lost," Kaldur insisted, glaring a bit at his map. "We just have not found them yet. Gotham is a big city and we do not know where to look."

Megan sat on the park bench, sighing heavily. She kept getting turned around in this place. There were no mountains to use as landmarks and many of the skyscrapers looked alike. Who came up with the gothic steel mill look for this place anyway? The greenery of this Robinson Park was the only wide spread area she could find. Everything else was industrial and suburb. Mostly apartment buildings and factories in some of the places she saw. It was easy for people to get lost there.

"Why don't we just wait around and listen to a police scanner?" she suggested. "They'll come if there's trouble, right?"

"Most likely they are keeping a low profile so Batman does not notice their help." He squinted at the map, trying to make heads or tails of it.

Earlier they asked someone where the bad parts of town were and they just said a bunch of names that weren't on the map. The Bowery, the Cauldron, Crime Alley, where did people get ideas for these names? At least East End was easier to explain. Apparently the whole eastern half of Gotham was in disrepair. Certain parts of the Northern and Southern ends were far better off, and the West side seemed decent. So all they had to do was keep towards the east side of Gotham and they'd find trouble.

And hopefully Kid Flash and Superboy before anyone else found out they were MIA.

Kaldur's call to his friend did not go well, and he couldn't get a hold of Artemis. The girl had mentioned the other day she'd be busy training with Green Arrow, so it wasn't surprising for her not to respond. But when he had called Wally, all he got was a voicemail. More importantly, it was one saying he'd be at his best friend's if they really needed to get in contact with him.

So it was obvious the teen was in Gotham too. Maybe even with Conner. Megan and Kaldur only prayed that was the case.

Megan looked at the sky, worry coming to her face. It was getting dark. They'd been there all day long. "We better pick a direction soon. I don't think we should stay out here too late. Batman might find us."

"You have not sensed them have you?"

The young psychic shook her head sadly. Try as she might, she hadn't been able to find even one of the boys. Sadly she made her suggestion again. "I bet if we find some trouble we'll find them. It's getting dark, so someone will be breaking the law soon, right? Like a thief or a mugging?"

"It is possible." Kaldur gave a heavy sigh as he oriented the map to their location. "The east side is our best bet, but the financial district seems a likely target. Maybe even the fashion district. We should head south for a bit, then head up the east coast for a while until we reach Sprang River. Crime Alley does not sound like a pleasant place to be at night."

"Some superheroes we turn out to be," Megan muttered in disappointment. "Scared off from a crime infested place just because of some rumors."

"You are beginning to sound like Artemis."

"We're supposed to be a team Kaldur," she insisted, still worried. "A family. We shouldn't be running away from each other, keeping secrets like this. We should be able to talk to each other freely. We should be honest with each other. We should tell when we're planning on heading out of town. We should—"

"You are upset Conner ran off without telling you," Kaldur surmised. He gave her a knowing look, causing her to blush furiously in response.

"He should have told me," she whispered with a growl, glaring at the ground. "Why didn't he tell me? We could have worked this out, found a way to do this. He should have—"

"If wishes were horses, beggars would ride." The Atlantian gave her a tired look, reminding her he'd been searching with her all that day. He didn't like this either, but right then they had to focus on the task at hand. "You two can work this out after we find them. But first we have to find them before Batman and the League does."

He looked back to the map as Megan let his words sink in. She really was worried about her boyfriend, but she was also getting mad at him. Taking off like that, not saying a word to her, she was ready to let him have it. It was bad enough that Wally shot Robin, his best friend, into another universe. Now Conner was keeping secrets from her and running off! Something had to be done about this team of theirs.

"We should head out now," Kaldur suggested. "Pick up some food along the way. We will be in the Fashion District by seven and work our way up from there."

The Martian girl nodded, leaving her bench to join him in the long trek to the more likely to be hit parts of Gotham that night. Hopefully they'd find their friends soon, before things got hairy.

* * *

><p>Bruce adjusted his collar probably for the fifth time that day. Cheryl kept pulling it down every time she tugged on his arm for her attention. Which was far too often for him to like. Some nights he liked having a beautiful lady on his arm. This time though, he had his attention on other things.<p>

Security at the Mayor's home should have been better. There were dozens of prominent families at this dinner party, each of them influential in either economic or political circles. Furthermore, the whole thing was being televised. Seeing how this event was going, Bruce was almost glad Dick wasn't there. This place would be far too tempting a target for Joker.

Did the Joker have enough time to set up a stunt for tonight was the question.

He kept making sweeps of the place, identifying every person there and reassessing what he knew about them. And that was everyone, from the guests to the caterers to the security. So far everyone was on the up and up. He only hoped it stayed that way.

"Brucie!" the blond on his arm whined. "Lets get something to eat! They have really good caviar and shrimp cocktails as appetizers!"

"I thought you were more the salad type?" 'Brucie' joked, giving her his most charming smile. That was all the girl ate earlier that day. Maybe it was so she could fill up at this party.

Cheryl gave her most dainty smile in return. The little gold digger was trying to go the extra mile to milk him dry. He'd say he'd call her in a few days and 'forget' her number before the evening was out. Besides, her gambling brother was the real reason he tried dating her. He needed to know how desperate the man was becoming and if he was working with the Falcones. Looked like he was. Shame.

"I have my moments."

"Bruce!" The man in question jerked his head around as a small child's body slammed into his legs, hugging him briefly. A black haired six year old grinned up at him a second later, his father chasing after him seconds later. "Where's Dick?"

"Who's this?" Cheryl asked, indignant. She hadn't missed Bruce's slight genuine smile when he locked eyes with the kid, or how his free hand was moving to the boy's head.

"Timothy!" the boy's father caught up to them, an exasperated glare on his face. He was clearly the boy's father: his hair and skin tone matched perfectly and one could easily pinpoint other facial features between them. The rest of him must have come from his mother or his grandparents. It was just the startling affection coming between the kid and Bruce that'd warrant any question of his origins.

"Cheryl, meet my neighbors, Timothy and Jack Drake." Little Timmy sheepishly let go of Bruce's leg and looked back to his dad, attempting to behave himself.

"Sorry about this Bruce," the man started as he grabbed his boy's shoulders.

"No trouble really," Bruce waved off. He was actually getting quite used to kids ramming into him and giving random hugs. Dick and Timmy were just two frequent attackers. Lucius Fox's girls were just as bad. Then there were those random energetic ones that had courage to grab him at the orphanages he visited.

Looking his boy in the eye, Jack started his lecture. "Timmy, you know better than to run off like that."

"But I wanted to see Dick!" Timmy said with a pout.

"No buts. You gave me a heart attack back there. There's a lot of big people around and I don't want to lose you."

"You won't lose me," the boy insisted, looking up to the giant behind him. "I said I wanted to see Dick and Dick's with Bruce so all you had to do is find Bruce! And he's easy to see. He's way big!" He emphasized his last sentence by reaching towards the ceiling dramatically.

"He's got a point there Jack," Bruce chuckled.

"That's Mr. Wayne to you Timmy," his father insisted. He gave Bruce a you're-not-helping glare. "And that still doesn't make up for running off like that. You're my son, and I worry about you when you aren't with me. Vanishing like that scares me to death. Heavens knows how much that'd scare your mother."

A little guilt entered the boy's face at the statements. Timmy looked down to his polished shoes for a quiet moment, his bottom lip beginning to tremble. "I'm sorry."

Jack gave out a heavy sigh before sliding his arms around his boy and enveloping him into a tight hug, which the kid eagerly returned. "It's alright. I forgive you. Just don't go disappearing on me like that."

"Okay." With his silent agreement, Jack lifted his boy up and turned him for easy transport as he stood back up to talk to Bruce and his lady friend. "Sorry about being rude Mr. Wayne," the kid added quietly.

"It's quite alright Timmy," Bruce sadly chuckled, ignoring the woman on his arm entirely. Watching the two, hearing Jack's words, it just reminded him of his aching feelings these past few days. Dick's temporary absence wasn't quite the same as Jack losing sight of Timmy in the crowd, but it was close enough to home for him to be troubled once more. "I really didn't mind it."

"Really, I'm so sorry that Timothy interrupted your evening," Jack insisted, nodding over to Cheryl who was still tugging on Bruce's arm.

"Seriously Jack, it's alright. I quite enjoy seeing friendly faces like your and Tim's at events like these. Where's Janet anyway?" He took a quick look around for the woman of the Drake house hold.

"She's making her rounds while I watch him," Jack explained quickly. "We planned on switching off until after dinner, but this little ninja-in-training," (Timmy snickered mischievously. Dick was giving him lessons in sneaking around, and he was almost to Robin's level.) "had his own plans."

"Where's Dick?" Timmy asked again, looking around from his perch in his dad's arms. His innocent question struck needles into Bruce's chest, reminding him yet again what was happening beyond this high class world around him.

Dick and Timmy were very close friends, almost brothers, and primarily because Bruce had coerced his teen to baby-sit on occasion. Whenever the two of them were at a function together, Timmy sought him out and the two of them would play around the adults until either the six year old fell asleep or they were each taken home. Occasionally Barbara Gordon would join in their fun and the threesome would somehow manage to stay out of trouble while causing it. In a way, they made their own kind of family between them, one that made would-be dreary nights enjoyable for once.

It pained Bruce to shatter the boy's hope for an enjoyable evening among all the formalities he'd have to endure. "I'm afraid he caught a cold Thursday night. Alfred and I thought it was best to keep him home until he's all better."

"What?" Timmy cocked his head and blinked owlishly for a moment. "He's sick?"

Bruce nodded. "Yep. Our good friend Leslie is with him right now, making sure he actually rests. You remember the last time he caught a cold, don't you Timmy?"

The boy nodded energetically, humoring his father a great deal. Jack decided to comment. "If I remember right, Dick was only a little sick last time, then started a snowball fight and caught pneumonia. Don't want that to happen again."

"Will he get better soon?" Timmy pleaded.

The billionaire smirked. "I hope so. We're keeping him in for the week, and that should make him healthy again. But," he emphasized, making eye contact with the kid, "he needs his rest. So you can't sneak in to see him, got that?"

The first grader looked away for a moment, pouting a bit as his own plans were easily foiled. This won a smirk from both men and an exhausted eye roll from the woman easily forgotten on Bruce's opposite side. "Okay…"

Unconsciously, Bruce smiled at the boy and placed his hand on his head. He almost ruffled the boy's hair, but remembered in time where they were and how much the Drakes liked keeping up appearances. If they were just at their homes, no one would have minded, but this was a public party. Completely different rules there. Didn't stop the boy from smiling at his touch.

Jack smirked at the two before an idea flashed behind his eyes. "Hey Bruce? Mind watching Timmy for a bit? A few of my contacts are headed out in the morning and we have to put him to bed before eight."

"Aw…" Bruce pouted as he let go of Timmy's hair. "You'll miss half the party."

"Better that than a wiped out first grader in the morning," he explained. Timmy looked like he was going to pout his disapproval when Bruce laughed.

"Okay, I'll keep an eye on him. Cheryl, can I have my arm back?" The playboy billionaire turned baby-sitter/father figure gave the gold digger a slightly pleading smile, mentally thanking Jack for an excuse to get rid of the human accessory who weighed him down unpleasantly. The woman gave an indignant look before smiling sweetly and letting go.

"Of course Brucie. I was just thinking about getting some appetizers anyway." She kept up her pleasant face best she could while Jack handed the little boy over to the giant CEO.

"Thanks Bruce. I owe you one. Now Timmy," Jack started, eyeing his boy firmly, "I want you to stay with Mr. Wayne here until I or Mommy get back, you understand? Don't go wandering off, and don't make a mess of things for him either."

"Okay," the boy answered easily, a pleased smile on his lips. "You'll be back soon right?"

"Of course I will." The father smiled warmly to his boy before depositing a kiss on his forehead. "Remember to be good while I'm gone."

"I will!"

"I won't be long." Jack looked back up to Bruce, an appreciative smile in his eye. "Thanks again."

"No problem." Soon the entrepreneur was off to make his rounds among the rich and powerful of Gotham City. For a moment Timmy looked after his dad, then looked at Bruce and started to squirm. "Feel like taking a walk?"

"Yeah!" Quickly the kid leapt out of the man's arms and to the floor, tugging on Bruce's hand to get him to move faster. "Let's go! Let's go!"

Bruce gave a soft laugh, genuinely amused by the kid's actions before looking back to his date. "Sorry Cheryl. Duty calls. I'll meet you at the table okay?"

The blond tried to hide her contempt for the boy stealing her meal ticket as she answered him. "It's okay Brucie. I just never thought of you as the neighborly type is all."

The man gave a helpless shrug. Five years ago he wasn't. A lot of things changed after Dick came into his life.

"Hey hey!" Timmy started again, his tone telling the detective he was about to ask a million questions. "Why do I have to call you 'Mr. Wayne'? Daddy and Dick call you Bruce. Why can't I? And why does she call you 'Brucie'? Is 'Brucie' like Timmy?"

* * *

><p>AN: I think I'm going to sneak as much of the Batclan in here as possible, but all within reason. Guest stars Tim and Jack Drake! =D Mentioned Leslie again. Riley is also from BTAS, same ep as the mission home. all the other characters are purely for this story. Fun times.

Okay, Conner is in more trouble with M'gann than anyone else, and reportedly White Martians are more aggressive and temperamental than the greens, so her being mad at him like this, then being filled with some kind of depression I think is very reasonable. He did run off without saying a word after all. He's got a lot to answer for. But he did start getting into his "dad's" farm boy habits with learning how to fix a roof. Thought he might like that. Wally giving out a false name sounded reasonable too, and since East is opposite of West... *shrug*

now back to the Tim/Jack cameo. I thought it was appropriate for something on the smaller scale of what's happening to Bruce and Dick to happen before him, kinda torturing the man for a minute or two while giving him a small bit of hope for the future (plus got rid of the idiot on his arm). Since Earth-16's version of Bruce is a warmer, more fatherly version, I thought in my 16.23 version where he knows Tim since he was little, he'd show some fatherly/uncle-ish affection to him. I'm a firm believer that Batman's real weakness isn't just Dick and his Robins, but kids in general. Kinda obvious to me since in the trinity arch he (as a god-like being) made sure an antagonistic father/daughter stayed together in the end. Others no doubt can name instances where he helps kids out and families stay together. Guess that's the real reason I like him so much. Everything boils down to family with him. ^^V


	14. Ch 14 For the Love of Cake

**Disclaimer:** if wishes were horses, we'd all be in a rodeo! and I'd have the whole DC comics corporation in my pocket. Sadly, I can't even ride a horse.

yeah, I said I'd update sooner, but writing an action scene, let alone things with villains is hard for me. I'm always getting hung up on them. Also, I keep coming up with more and more interesting ideas! Thankfully they're mostly one shots, but came up with a great AU story I'll work more on after I've finished this. It's for Batman/comics if you're interested, but only after I finish this, 'Without Me' and 'Slade Plan B'.

Plus watched the leaked eps a few weeks back. ^^; frankly, I shouldn't be watching anything when I should be writing. it messes me up. But, I have to say, the end of the first season made one of my internal plots much more realistic! just a little bit.

Without any more waiting, let's have cake!

* * *

><p><em><strong>Where's Robin?<strong>_

**Ch. 14 – For the Love of Cake**

"But I wanna stay for the cake!" Timothy Drake shouted as his mother Janet led him towards the door. The tired parents and socialites exchanged glances for a brief moment but held firm. They had a six year old to put to bed, and eight was his bed time. If they left now, they'd be in time to miss the majority of the traffic and be in Bristol by eight fifteen. Their boy would no doubt fall asleep in the car like always.

"We can have cake another day," his mother bargained, still pushing her boy down the hall.

"BUT I WANT CAKE NOW!"

"TIMOTHY JACKSON DRAKE!" The six year old jolted into a stiff posture. Every kid knew they were in deep water when their parents used their full name. Especially at night time. His dad's scowl on him pierced him to the core and ended all protests. "Stop your whining! You're tired and ate too much already. No cake for you until you can behave, is that clear?"

Pouting and stifling a tear, he nodded. "Yes sir."

His dad relaxed a bit, regretting using the tone of voice he had. "Good. Now I need a hug. Mind giving one to me?"

At this the boy lit up and happily wrapped his arms around his dad's neck. He heard his mom's soft chuckle and felt her warm hand smoothing his hair moments later. His father continued to hold onto him as they made their way out the door. They weren't the only guests to leave early on account of children, but they were one of the few families to finish the rest of the meal. They were just going to miss the cake.

As they made their way out the door, Timmy spotted the delivery truck and cake coming out of it. He gave the scene a curious scowl and started thinking out loud. "That cake looks wrong."

"Does it now," his father responded without looking.

The boy nodded, still watching the people taking it out. "And the people with it look funny. One of them looks really weird."

"Just a marketing gimmick," his mother assured him. She too was more focused on putting this little boy to bed over looking at what could have been their dessert. Janet opened the back door of their car and let her husband secure their bundle of joy in his booster seat.

Timmy kept looking over to the new caterers and the cake they were delivering, scowling towards them. The really weird one had a really big smile, but there was nothing good about it. And there was something… fake… about the guy. A dark feeling threatened to fill his chest as his parents took the front seats and he finally managed to look away. "I don't think I want cake anymore."

"If you insist," his mother humored him as the engine turned on.

"Can I have his slice then?" his father joked. Quicker than the mom's annoyed glare, Jack put the car in drive and the three of them were off.

* * *

><p>Wally worked really hard to control his speed as he took down the latest electronics smash-and-grab thief. Conner was working on the driver, making sure no one could match the car damage to meta-human abilities. Their careful work to stay off the Bat's radar was so far working, but they moved south to make sure their random heroics weren't spotted. They'd have to head north later to stay out of the Fashion District and the other likely areas higher end criminals would strike. So long as they stayed away from the crazies they should be fine.<p>

Well that was the intention. It completely changed when the speedster saw the news report on one of the TV screens. Summer Gleeson had just connected with the on location reporter Vicki Vale at the Hill's dinner party (just another tactic to gain support among the higher class Gothamites), and the cake had just rolled out.

Wally had to look twice at the screen, his jaw dropping as he recognized the caterer pushing the large cart. It was one of the crazies who escaped from Arkham the other night! He saw a picture listing of them in the previous day's paper. Not Joker or Scarecrow, but definitely a crazy enough person for that madhouse. Whatever reason he was at the mayor's house that night couldn't be good.

"Crap. Con!" As the clone looked up at his current alias, his friend grabbed his wrist and started running. Really running.

"What the… Wal… Easton, what's going on!" Conner didn't like being pulled at superspeed by his teammate and frequently placed his feet on the ground in an attempt to keep up. Half the time he succeeded. The other half, well, he was glad the speedster had practice pulling people along for the ride. Not like it would hurt him much but still…

"The mayor's home's under attack," Wally explained, not slowing down. From what he remembered when he talked to Robin, the mayor's house was in the City Hall District, south of them. Hill didn't want a long commute to work, and he was a lawyer before he became mayor. Finding the place shouldn't be too hard, considering he had guests.

The clone blinked. "Isn't that more a job for Batman?"

"He might be one of the guests." Conner was still confused, clearly not understanding what he was talking about. The speedster shook his head. "It's something I figured out a long time ago. Batman has a lot of awesome, expensive toys. My uncle works a full time job and can only pay for the mortgage and his metabolism. How can Bats afford all the things he uses?"

"Um…" the idea really was a worthy question. "He won the lottery?"

"Either he's among the Gotham Elite," Wally persisted, "or one of them is his backer. Either way, I've got a hunch he'll be needing backup."

"I thought we were going to lay low!" Conner tried. But the speedster only continued running.

"Plans change," he murmured. "These heavy hitters out right now, they're chemists, and one of them likes to use other crazies to do his dirty work. Besides, rather have the Batglare than no Gotham waiting for Rob when he gets back."

The clone would have gripped his head in resigned frustration but found the G-force from their momentum keeping his limb behind him. This was going to be a long night, he just knew it.

They were about half way through the Fashion District when suddenly they were pulled off the ground. "What the!" "Hey! What gives!"

"About time we found you." Both vigilantes jerked their heads around to the source of the voice, feeling guiltier by the second. Kaldur's disapproving glare stung Wally a bit, but it was nothing compared to the growing fear in Conner from Megan's sharp scowl. She was more than just angry at him, and he knew he was in for it when they were finally alone. The G-gnomes never said a thing about teenage girls and their emotions when they taught him at Cadmus.

"Oh, hi Kal," Wally tried, pretending for a moment like nothing was wrong. "Hey there beautiful. Mind if we—"

"You are lucky the League is not here looking for you two," Kaldur interrupted, glaring up at them darkly. "We had to lie to Red Tornado as to your whereabouts."

"Look, we can explain-" Conner started, only for Megan to cut him off.

"Explain? We're far past just explanations Conner." Quickly she named off every reason she was angry with him. "No note, no phone call, not even mentioning for a second you wanted to come here, didn't even tell me, didn't even think about school tomorrow, going against League rules, probably making every other Leaguer worried out of their skulls, didn't even think ahead about food or shelter—"

"I'm sorry!" the clone tried, almost pleading for the girl's forgiveness. "I… I just couldn't stand still anymore. I thought, with all the things on Batman's plate, the least I could do is help him out until Robin got back."

"Batman has managed without Robin in the past," Kaldur insisted, glaring at the two boys still floating in the air.

"He's also managed without the League," Wally reminded them. "Doesn't mean he doesn't need help once in a while. Anyway, we need to get going. Something's going to happen at the mayor's place real soon and—"

"What makes you think that?" the Atlantian asked, wanting to know how the fastest boy alive could come up with this when he knew nothing about this city.

A scream and a few shouts filled their ears in the streets near by. Everyone jerked their heads on reflex towards the noise. They exchanged looks of caution before Kaldur made a motion to Megan. Still upset, she slowly let the boys' feet touch the ground so they could find out what happened. Within seconds they were with the crowd looking at the large TVs in the fancy window display, watching the chaos unfold.

Kaldur looked at the bottom of the screen, reading the location of the event. He grimaced then looked over to his friends. "You win. Think Batman will—"

"If we're quick about it and no one gets hurt, of course not!" Wally grinned as he grabbed their leader and dragged them back into the alleyway. Once out of sight, the speedster ran off with him, letting Megan use her telekinetics to fly her boyfriend to the location in question.

The aliens looked at each other for a moment before taking off. Megan was still upset with him, but Conner's sorry expression and the promise to talk about this later was enough to settle her for pounding bad guys instead of him. For now. They had a party to save.

* * *

><p>It was just his bad luck Bruce didn't see the madmen coming in and surrounding the room when the cake rolled in. Cheryl had demanded his attention again while waiting for the dessert to come rolling in and it was harder than it looked to distract her with someone else. She really was dead set on sucking him dry. And because of her incessant chatter and pulling on his arm, he hadn't noticed who pushed in the cake until the dizziness in his head set in.<p>

He wasn't drunk. Judging by the way others around the room were responding, it was a gas. Some people were gripping their heads earlier than others, and right then they were crippled with nausea and vertigo. Bruce himself felt as if he were driving a car on a boat. Like others, he looked around the room for an exit, but each of them were covered by one of the caterers.

That was when he recognized a few of them. Including the cake pusher, there were six Arkham escapees there. The other dozen or so men were among the many thugs he'd taken down over the years. Some were new, but only a handful. A quick look at them told him this. A second let him see the gasmasks and air tanks.

Too late he reached for his utility belt to retrieve his own gasmask only to be held on by his date. In his dizzy thoughts he realized he wouldn't have a chance to change before things went south. Cheryl wouldn't let him and the drug in the air was inhibiting his movements. Part of his mind knew the only way out of this was through the League's help. The other half prayed this was just a simple mugging and everyone would come out fine after a few minutes.

Finally, once everyone was displaying symptoms of the gas, the last reporters standing fell towards the ground. At the sound of one of the camera's crashing, the giant cake exploded. Everyone at the tables were covered in frosting and pastry, some wiping it off before going back to gripping their heads.

"I'm sorry, did I miss my cue?"

Bruce's eyes grew wide despite his growing vertigo. That voice… Like everyone else, he looked up to where it came from. One of the cameras was retrieved by a thug and pointed far above them. From the skylight, Joker was lowered down while standing on what appeared to be an elaborate bomb.

Slowly the two worst things to combine in Gotham City were lowered onto the cart once carrying the cake. Once at the end of his ride, Joker leapt off and bowed, grinning madly.

"Thank you, thank you. I know you were all expecting me to just leap out of the cake in my birthday suit, but let's be serious. It's been done." He paused for a moment, looking around at the ill captive audience of his. "What, no round of applause for originality? And I thought it was bad just catching you all with egg on your face. Hmmm…."

He leaned over a table and slid a finger down one woman's face, taking off some of the cake. He put it into his mouth, tasting it critically before making a face. "Hmmm… More vanilla in the frosting next time Chuckles. Kids these days…"

Joker shook his head in disappointment before looking about the room again. He spotted the Hills and quickly bopped his head as if he were remembering something. "Oh silly me! Where are my manners? I need to give my contribution to the lovely hostess!"

"No…" Mayor Hill's wife started in horror despite her vertigo. "Stop!"

"Oh, but you'll love this." As if he didn't have a care in the world, Joker waltzed over to the head table, one hand going into the inside of his purple jacket. "It's a real breath of fresh air."

When his hand left his coat, it was filled with plastic flowers. He cordially bowed to the misses, extending them towards her face. "See? Not all that bad at all is it?"

The mayor's wife flinched only for a moment, but then her vertigo made her lean towards the flowers. Joker squeezed the base, releasing a large puff of gas which shrouded her head in seconds. "Then again…"

In the back of everyone's dizzy minds, they knew what was going to happen even before it started. First she coughed, then snickered. It grew to a chuckle within moments, finally ending with heavy laughter. A laughter that wouldn't stop. Joker grinned at her before turning to everyone else. "See? Don't I know how to give a girl a good time?"

Bruce gave a low growl, glaring daggers through his fingers. His vertigo and nausea was crippling him and the gold digger on his side had made it impossible to move. As much as he wanted to leap up and wring that clown's neck right then, he couldn't. He hated feeling like this. Useless.

Joker cast the crowd one more mocking grin before looking straight into the camera. "I know you're watching this Batsy, so listen up.

"I've got five more bombs like this one," he tapped the one of the cart, "rigged to explode all around Gotham before sunrise tomorrow, all in places you'd like. Some just go boom, while others will bring a smile to your face. But don't bother chasing me down for them. I didn't place them so I don't even know where they all are! So listen to this. You've got less than twelve hours to find them all before you little kiddos out there get to learn the joke of the century.

"Now normally this is the part where I demand money. Don't really feel like demanding it when there won't be anything stopping me from taking anything I want after tonight. Instead I want cake. Good cake. Better than any other cake. I want Wonder Woman's cake, the cake of the gods. Yummy good ambrosia cake. So be a good little bat and get some from your girlfriend for me will you?"

The Billionaire nearly fell from his chair at that demand. Seriously, why were people putting him and Diana together all the time! And Ambrosia cake? Joker's antics had reached a new low, and his insanity earned him even more time in a padded cell.

The mad man continued. "Oh and I want a little bird too. Flame broiled and seasoned. I'm all ready to carve him up if you are."

Before the detective could stabilize his grip on the table to stand, something was thrown into the one working camera. It too shattered on the ground, sparking continually. The mad clown grinned more, turning around and up to see who had done this. "Well it's about time Bats…sy…"

Now in the skylight everyone could see four teens' silhouettes, the light of the Batsignal shining behind them. Encased with shadow, one of them spoke calmly.

"We are not Batman."

* * *

><p>AN: yeah, this is me writing Joker. Originally I was gonna have him come out of the cake in a stupid bathing suit, but this sounded better.

As for the wonderbat pairing, I'm not against it since it's cannon in one of the animated tv shows of awesome, but I haven't found proof in this one of them being together so I'm just making it a rumor and a run on joke. Me pairing him with Selina is more likely anyway.

Yeah I had wally kinda figure it out with Bats having to be rich. I mean, he isn't stupid. Thank goodness there's lots of Rich people in Gotham.

Liked the end of Timmy's cameo? Not planning on using him again in this story but who knows about the future. He was kinda an accident here anyway. =P

Til next time! ^^V


	15. Ch 15 Take One Dinner Rescue

**Disclaimer:** ownership is such a fickle thing when basic characters are about 75 years old. Still, DC owns these guys. I wonder if they'll ever be public domain...

Yes, another chapter at last. Lets see what bats does here. And just a reminder of what this story is. it's what happens during 'Without Me'. it's not always gonna be angst or drama, it's just what happens. And I'm usually fluffy/crack, not action. So enjoy!

* * *

><p><em><strong>Where's Robin?<strong>_

**Ch. 15 – Take One: Dinner Rescue**

"That's obvious." Joker gave a mocking pout towards the new arrivals. Each of the boys had their faces covered, by either bandanas or ski masks. And other than dressing warmly, they really did not give the impression of being their typical vigilantes. He cocked his head as they slid down the rope to him. "No bird boy with you either. Friends of his? Nah, no tights. Amateurs. No fun."

The mad man glanced over to his thugs, tiredly giving orders. "Kill them. I'm missing my favorite show."

"You're not going anywhere clown," Wally insisted. He dashed at a normal rate at the jester, only to be sidestepped and tripped upon his approach. On the way there, the team had agreed not to use their powers in battle, though they'd stay in telepathic contact the whole time. Using all the skills they were taught by Canary and the rest, the team spread out to take down each of the thugs before they could harm anyone. Wally though focused on trying to stop Joker.

Not the wisest decision he's ever made. As the speedster lunged out at him, the mad man took out his knives, nicking him whenever he came within reach. "I wouldn't say that. I'm going a lot of places, mostly bananas! You're the one not going anywhere."

A quick slice tore through Wally's sleeve, barely missing skin. "Can you just hurry this up and die? I want to see Conan when he falls into acid."

"Shut up you clown!"

_Wally! The bomb!_

At Kaldur's voice in his head, the speedster jerked away. Blinded by the stories Robin had told him about Joker, he forgot the worst part about this fiasco. There was a bomb in the middle of the room, and who knew when it was going to go off, and what kind it was. Gritting his teeth, Wally kicked the guy in the chest before abandoning the fight to disarm the thing.

"Awww…" Joker taunted. "Don't wanna play with good old Uncle J anymore? Too bad." The maddened clown laughed hysterically until one of his own men was thrown into him courtesy Conner.

All around the speedster chaos unfold. Kaldur worked on the thugs guarding the doors to help the guests escape while Conner took on the ones with heavy ammunition. Megan, now disguised as a girl scout, disarmed the ones closer to the guests, briefly looking into the minds of the men to find out who knew where the other bombs were. But as far as any of them knew, only Wally had experience handling these things. That was why he was in charge of disarming the thing.

As the teenagers tried to save the day from crazy thugs, Wally tried to keep his focus on the machine before him. A few of the guests were getting up to help or to save themselves, but it was clear none of them were in condition to fight, even if they could on normal days. One in particular tried to run for it only to ram straight into a gunman, toppling him before vomiting all over his disguise. Others just stood up to throw out what they just ate. A few others fainted. Whatever they were hit with, the effects weren't touching the team. Must have dissipated if it were airborne.

Quickly the teen jerked back to attention, focusing in the wiring. It was a mess, pure and utter chaos. A perfect match to Joker's mind. Slowly he went over every connection, every possibility, before considering even one wire to take out. Parts of this looked familiar from something the Trickster used in Central, but it still had too many parts to make sense. He had to be sure before he did anything. One wrong move meant everyone was gone.

_Any luck?_ Kaldur asked once he cleared one doorway for good.

_I'm thinking!_ Wally barked back. He looked over the rest of the bomb's insides before making a conclusion. _Conner, think you can take the impact of a single stick of dynamite?_

_Maybe,_ the clone answered. _Haven't tested it but—_

_Time to test it. There's enough plastique here to blow this whole block sky high. But if I cut out one part of it, the part connected to the wires, it'll be about that much._ Wally took out a pocket knife and started carving out a portion of the explosive out from the rest, the part connected to the detonator. _This way, if I get the wiring wrong, there won't be any casualties._

"It'll still hurt," Conner grumbled as he threw one thug into another. Soon he dashed over to the bomb, ready to take the piece Wally was preparing for him.

Slowly the speedster transferred the piece to his hands and started physically working on the wiring. As he cut one wire after another, the ginger held his breath. Right then he wished it was Gotham's bomb squad there and not him doing this. He really was an amateur now. Barry was the one who took these things down every other day, not him. This really was more Batman's job after all. But the big guy hadn't shown up yet, so it was up to them.

As he carefully cut each wire, he remembered the sequence. Once he was down to his last three, he knew he made a mistake. Number four shouldn't have been cut yet and now the timer had sped up. "Crap."

"Get it out of here!" Kaldur ordered quickly. Conner nodded once, looking around for some way to be rid of the thing without using his powers. Though he could probably handle the explosion, he didn't want to risk anymore exposure. Besides, he liked that jacket. Quickly he spotted a sewer drain pipe on the tile floor. He ran towards it, clutching the device to his chest. Ripping the grate off, the clone shoved the bomb inside before replacing the cover. Within a few seconds they heard an explosion, forcing a shower of sludge upward and onto the teen's clothes and hair.

Secretly everyone gave a sigh of relief. Bomb handled. And the party crashers…

Wally took another look around for the stray thug or the Joker, but couldn't find anymore need for him. Nearly every thug was out cold on the ground. The others had somehow slipped out when they weren't looking. And Joker was missing. "Dang it…"

In the distance they heard sirens. _We have to go,_ Kaldur started. _We cannot be seen anymore than we already have._

_No duh. _Conner looked between the crowd of guest trying to escape, the fallen baddies and the skylight. _Think we can shimmy back up or should we mingle in the crowd?_

_I vote for option three_, their leader stated, indicating towards a blocked exit.

Before they could make a step towards the fire escape, Wally stopped them. _ Wait! Joker, the other bombs! We can't just leave without knowing what he's planning. And we don't know where the other bombs are! _

_We will have to leave it to the local police,_ Kaldur insisted, only to be cut off once again

_Haven't you learned a thing from Robin's stories? Half of Gotham's cops are either corrupt or incompetent. That's why Batman's needed here!_ The speedster would have run a hand through his hair if his head wasn't covered by a ski mask. _We have to find out where those other bombs are or there won't be a Gotham left. M'gann, did you get anything from those guys?_

The girl shook her head. _Only a few images, but nothing that made sense. We only saw some parts of Gotham today, and I only recognized one place besides here._

_Alright,_ Wally concluded. _Then we have to go back and—_

"Gotham PD! Hands where I can see them!"

"Crap." Discussion ended then and there. Hard to concentrate when you're running from the police after all.

* * *

><p>Outside the Hill residence, several high class guests were giving their testimonies while given an antidote for the toxin they breathed in earlier. Bruce was nearly done with his checkup and his cheep coffee when Alfred appeared with the car. He smiled briefly to the EMT looking him over as he handed over his empty cup. "I'm afraid my ride's here and I have someone waiting for me at home. Excuse me."<p>

"But Mr. Wayne—" she tried in hopes to stop him.

But the billionaire couldn't be distracted now. He was one of the first to give his testimony, and faked agony for having lost the contents of his stomach during the scuffle earlier. Now that Bruce was relatively better, he had work to do. Top of the list was getting to those bombs, but not until after he took care of something else as well.

"I take it the event tonight was more eventful than planned Master Bruce?" Alfred started once his charge was in the limo.

"By far," Bruce started as he dimmed the glass for extra privacy. He pressed a panel in the seat, releasing his suit for immediate use. "Joker's men planted five bombs around the city, some with his gas."

"I heard." The butler kept his eyes on the road as the reviewed what he heard on the news. "His ransom is ambrosia cake?"

"He didn't say he wouldn't detonate them if he got it." He snapped his belt in place, glaring off into space. "This is just his idea of a prank."

"I think we would all prefer one of Master Richard's," Alfred muttered dryly.

"Agreed. But that isn't the end of it. Gotham has a few unexpected visitors."

"Oh? Who?"

"Robin's team."

"Oh dear." The butler shook his head. Everyone knew Batman didn't like metas in his city. Why would a group of teenage heroes risk a confrontation with him by coming in uninvited?

"Good thing they were," Batman started, placing his comlink in his ear before putting on the cowl completely. "Thanks to Cheryl and Joker's new gas, I couldn't do anything until it was too late. They'll prove further useful before this night is out. Batman to Aqualad."

The other end of his com hesitated to pick up, but did. "Aqualad here. Is something the matter?"

"Have the four of you on Wayne Tower's roof in ten minutes." He added a growl to his voice to emphasize the seriousness of this situation. He could hear the young man on the other end stiffen.

"Understood."

Batman cut the transmission just as Alfred pulled up into an alleyway. In moments the dark knight was on the streets, ready to take down Joker's plans and give certain teenagers a piece of his mind.

* * *

><p>"We are so dead."<p>

Wally's head hid itself between his knees and hands. They screwed up. Despite having cut the news transmission, they were seen by Batman somehow and he knew they tried to take on Joker. He knew they hadn't a clue where the bombs were. He knew they let the madman get away. He knew they were to blame for all of this, that _he_ was the one who planted the idea of any of them going to Gotham to begin with. They were so screwed once Batman arrived.

"We cannot be sure of that," Kaldur reassured him. "He only called me saying to have the four of us here. He did not say which four."

"This is Batman we're talking about," the speedster reminded them. "He knows _everything_. Especially in _his city_."

"What do you think he'll do?" M'gann floated around nervously. Conner leaned heavily against a gargoyle, glaring into the abyss below the skyline in thought. Kaldur kept looking around to await the city's protector's arrival. Wally was the only one sitting, and he was determined to blame himself all over again.

"Probably make us eat the leftover plastique from that bomb."

"You did your best Wally," the Martian tried, hoping it was acceptable for the dark knight as well. "No one else even knew how to disarm the thing."

"I messed up!" He jerked his head out of his lap and glared at her. "And with bombs, there's no redo. Everyone could have died!"

"But they didn't," she tried again. This time Wally jumped to his feet.

"Doesn't matter! I picked one wrong wire out of sequence and everything goes down! Batman would have gotten it right the first time around! My uncle would have gotten it out of there in the blink of an eye! Even Superman would have done better than that!"

"Hey," Conner started, jerking his head away from the mesmerizing gaze, "I think you did pretty good. Even thought ahead in case you did screw up."

"It was your quick thinking that saved everyone!" Wally jerkily waved a hand towards the clone. "If you hadn't thrown it into the drain, who knows what would have happened!"

"Actually," a dark voice started just above them, "it was your combined efforts that saved them."

Everyone jerked around towards the voice, on their feet and ready to either fight or run. Batman was somehow perched on the top of the roof access doorway above them, giving everyone a shrewd look. He jumped into the midst of their impromptu meeting, immediately taking control.

"We'll talk about your insubordination later," he started, growling slightly. "There are five bombs placed around Gotham set to detonate before sunrise. Here it's around seven am. We have less than eight hours to find them and get rid of them. I want them gone before six and the three of you at school on time."

"So," Wally started shakily, "you're not gonna kill us for being here?"

Batman gave him a withering look, but only for a moment. He looked back towards the others, shaking his head. "I was indisposed during the attack. Consider it luck."

"Do you know where the bombs are?" M'gann asked, finally putting her feet on the ground.

"Roughly." He brought up a map on his wrist computer. "The man I questioned only gave me districts. Split up to find them. Keep in radio contact. I'll walk you through the disarming procedure when you find them."

"What if the bomb squad beats us to it?" Conner asked, looking over the screen. "I mean, Gotham has those, right?"

"If you see them working on the bomb," Batman amended, "let them work. Focus on clearing the area of civilians. Radio in. Everyone needs to be on their toes for this."

Having all their attention now on the Bat, he started explaining who went where and how to proceed. Privately they were glad this crisis helped them avoid the man's wrath. Still wasn't helping the people of Gotham though. Only finishing this mission would.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** So I'm debating something. I pretty much had this chapter done yesterday but I wanted to get some facts done and right before putting it up. Editing it helped a lot I think. Anywho, the debate is whether I should post another chapter before I'm done with the whole story or this action arch. Opinions? I'm working on five different angles for a bit after all. =/

Also, I have _no idea how to disarm a bomb_ so do not quote me on this. I probably just told you all how to blow yourselves up faster. ^^; I made Wally the brains of this outfit because let's face it, the others haven't dealt with everything he's been exposed to. Uncle's a forensics cop and public hero. Aunt's a reporter. In comics, his dad's also a tough guy who fights for other reasons (really, so little info online on him). Wally's a science geek. him knowing how to disarm a bomb over the others is just as likely as knowing how to make an EMP pulse. Just thinking about it, it made sense to have him disarm a bomb.

So, should I not put up anything more until at least I'm done with the bomb scenario or done with joker, thus getting it all solid, or normal chapter by chapter updates?


	16. Ch 16 Divide

**Disclaimer:** ownership is such a fickle thing. It never seems to come to me. =(

As much as I enjoy comments, I must remind people who want me to rush through things that life goes on without Robin. These events are important because it shows the team can survive without Robin, and answers the questions of what happens in the world when Robin's not around. In 'Without Me' Batman was a no show until Wednesday. DaddyBats appears there on Thursday night. The next three chapters are all Sunday night/Monday morning. I'm not gonna make you live through their schooling hours, just certain events.

On a sunnier note, all these places mentioned are DC cannon. I've worked on picking these locations and making them likely targets for days. M'ganns was the hardest. Enjoy!

* * *

><p><em><strong>Where's Robin?<strong>_

**Ch. 16 – Divide**

Wally dashed as far north as he could without being seen. Batman had sanctioned powers so long as their hero identities weren't used this time. They had to remain under the radar, and if Kid Flash suddenly appeared in Gotham when there was no Flash or Robin around, it would be noticed. Since both Conner and he left their costumes at home, this wasn't really a problem for them. It was not using their powers besides for transportation that made it difficult. _Sheesh… Advanced Batman training. This sucks._

He skidded to a halt as soon as he saw the street sign marking a particular district. Park Row. Crime Alley. Reportedly one of the worst places to be in Gotham. Maybe in the world. Quickly he took a glance around the area. Many homes and apartments looked rundown and in disrepair. There were signs of construction around the area, but the sanitation department should have been there instead. Litter, sludge, and a lot of unknowns he didn't even want to consider the name of, covered the ground.

Then there was the people. So many drunks, junkies, and homeless on this street alone, it nearly broke his heart looking at all of them. Central was paradise compared to this, and his uncle dealt with crazies there too. And what were those kids doing up so late? Who was watching out for the people there?

Inwardly Wally cringed in sympathy for this place. He'd never want to live there. If he hadn't found the shelter the other night, he might have had to join these people. One night of homelessness would have been enough to make him run home and probably forget about the whole thing. Wasn't there another shelter these people could go to? Why were they living on the streets here anyway? Didn't they have families who could help them?

Someone stepping on an empty can brought him back to reality. He had a mission to complete, and he wasn't going to mess it up. He really couldn't. A ticking bomb wouldn't wait for him to be ready before going off. He had to find the thing and disarm it before it exploded.

Hard part now was finding it.

* * *

><p>Kaldur had a hard time looking around China Town for his explosive. The streets were cluttered with stalls and mysterious crates. It didn't help that the streets were still active, even as midnight drew nearer.<p>

Searching this place was going to be a nightmare. The only thing he could hope for was someone seeing something earlier in the day. That meant talking to venders and praying they knew English or another language he learned.

"Excuse me ma'am," he tried, stopping at a fish stand, trying to ignore the smell. He may eat fish like other Atlantians, but he never had to smell them when they weren't fresh. Revolting. "Have you seen any men wearing a catering uniform and carrying a large metal device today?"

All he got in response was a fish being thrust into his face and an earful of Chinese. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p>As the Martian flew in camouflage mode over the sky scrapers of Gotham, she started to see what Robin and Batman did. High above, the lights of the city were beautiful. If she saw it from a distance, it almost looked like the Milky Way was brought down to Earth. And as she neared her designated area, she saw even more of the structural beauty of this old city.<p>

Chelsea was a college town within the bustling city. Gotham University sat in the heart of it all, brightly lit even at night. From above she could see many students leaving campus to try and catch some zees before their next exhausting day of classes. Only a handful of others were leaving their apartments to get to a night job. There were others lazing about on dates or going to the bars and dance clubs around the place, but for the most part the people were winding down for the night. Near the harbor there was little activity, but for the most part it was dead.

As she settled on top of the Kane Planetarium, M'gann tried to think of where the Joker and his men would hide the bomb. This place was filled with people coming and going every which way. There was no way someone didn't see it, right? But if someone saw it, they'd report it, especially after that news broadcast. The person who reported it could get some money as a reward, or go on national television and become famous. But as far as she could tell, no police were in the area so it hadn't been reported yet.

"So maybe they hid it in plain sight? Or somewhere more deserted? Hello Megan! Those warehouses on the harbor! That's got to be where it is!" Quickly she took back to the skies and zoomed over to the darker side of the district. It was a place to start at the least.

* * *

><p>Batman told Conner to take the subway to the Upper West Side, and to always keep a lookout for pickpockets. Apparently this place wasn't as friendly as other neighborhoods. Even compared to the East End he'd stayed with all that day. At least people were trying to fix that part of town.<p>

As soon as he exited the subway terminal, he heard gun shots and shouting. Most of the other tired passengers hurried away in the opposite direction, but the clone ran forward to try and stop whatever was happening. Little did he know he just walked into the 'War Zone'. Even the toughest cops didn't dare enter that part of town without lots of backup, and only for the worst of crimes. Batman only seemed to come there when it became part of a case he was working on or needed something to hit, badly.

For one super clone, it looked like a nightmare. The streets were littered with every kind of trash possible, and if you were the unlucky person looking through it, you could find dead rats in it. Most houses had broken windows and the apartments were tagged over and over again. He saw signs for several gangs, and if he knew anything about them, he'd have turned around and walked the other way.

As it was, Conner was the good Samaritan who wandered into a lion's den.

"Hey farm boy!" The clone jerked his head around to see a punk with too many earrings coming up to him. He and his four other friends had a couple knives out and guns poking out of their pants. The leader of the pack grinned lopsidedly at him. "Got a delivery for me?"

"No." He took another look around. "I heard some gunshots from around here. Is everything alright?"

"What shots?" the punk joked. His friends laughed along. "I didn' hear nuthin'."

"I heard gunshots." Was this guy deaf or something?

"Ya need ta get yer ears checked. It's a quiet night out here."

"Ya got anythin' or what?" another punk demanded. Another one of them fingered the edge of his blade while the last had his hand on his gun.

Conner gave them a cold glare. "All I've got are questions. What happened here? Where's the shooter I heard earlier? And did any of you see some clown with a bomb earlier today?"

For some reason their leader just laughed. His friends seemed to roll their eyes or glare at Conner before joining in. "Yer a lon' way from home farm boy. Ya don' know nuthin' about life here."

The clone's eyes narrowed dangerously. If he didn't know any better, he'd say these guys were picking a fight they didn't really want. Course they didn't know who he was or who he was supposed to be. Unless they had Kryptonite, they were pretty much screwed. He hoped his glare and muscles bulging through his jacket would warn them away.

Apparently not.

"Nice jacket." Mr. Too Many Earrings grabbed Conner's collar, rubbing the material with a hungry look on his face.

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p>The drive to Ottisburg was longer for him than for any of the others. He didn't have flight, superspeed or a nearby destination. Batman's only prayer was the four of them wouldn't get lost on their own. At least with the coms and trackers he'd be able to find them again and keep them on track.<p>

But finding the bomb was always tricky.

Joker always wanted something to be as public as possible. And if not public, stupidly ironic. And the more bodies the better. All the way up through Gotham Batman thought of all the possible targets within each district. Each one had people by the hundreds out at night. Many locations were especially active then.

Aqualad would probably have the most trouble in China Town because of how crowded it was and because the majority of people there refused to speak English until you bought something from them. He'd have sent Kid Flash to do a quick search of the place instead, but he needed someone to get to Crime Alley quickly as well. And handling that particular district would be just as time consuming, even when the residents were on their best behavior. Miss Martian was best for Chelsea due to the traveling distance and how crowded the place could be at night. Besides, if she was seen there, most people would attribute her to alcohol or another experimental drug a student was using, or just sleep deprivation from studying too hard. And the Upper West Side was brutal. Superboy had the highest chance of surviving there, maybe even knock some sense into people's heads as he took out his repressed anger on them.

Which left him with Ottisburg, one of the more normal places in Gotham. It was mostly residential but it had its fair share of landmarks. A handful of schools and a couple of stadiums. Unless one of Joker's henchmen had the audacity to put the bomb in someone's home, his best bet was to look at those. Top of the list was the Knight's Stadium.

Fortunately the season was over and only the occasional practice session or charity game went on during the winter months. Other than security, there shouldn't be a soul there. The place was due or renovations, but considering the weather, it was being held off until April. Right now only preliminary assessments were being done. Which meant odd comings and goings from random people claiming to be part of the renovation team wouldn't be noted as suspicious by the security.

But security might remember where they went when they visited that day.

As soon as he was in the parking lot, Batman leapt out of his car, secured it, and bolted into the building to the security office. It was the only light on in the entire building, making it easy to find. And as was usual of Gotham security personnel, this rent-a-cop had his legs propped up on his desk as he snoozed away in his chair. The portly fellow even had 'The Three Stooges' playing on his spare tv.

Batman glared at the man for a moment, annoyed once again that this was the norm for Gotham security. No wonder crime rate was so bad. Granted there was little of value to take from this place, and most people wouldn't vandalize the stadium, but the man should have been alert. This was his job after all.

To send the message home, and to ease his frustration, Batman kicked the chair out from under him. This rude awakening jolted the man awake, crying out as he hit the floor and sending pain up his humorous.

"Geeze! What was that…for…" The guard gaped as he spotted the dark knight looming over him dangerously. If he wasn't awake from the fall, he sure was now.

The Bat continued to glare at him as he started his questioning. He had a long night ahead of him, and an even longer next couple of days. And unfortunately for Gotham scum, the Joker and his flunkies, there was no Robin around to stop him.

* * *

><p>AN: so I have good news for you! Finished the bomb section so the next two chapters are coming shortly. I kinda did cop-out with the bombs, as I'm likely to describe how you can blow yourself up over disarming one. But now that the bombs are done, I can get back to the character interactions/emotional results of all this. then go back to catching Joker and scarecrow. remember what happened to bats in 'without me'? This world and that aren't that much different. *evil grin*

And to answer someone's question as to where artemis is, her hands are wounded and not everyone watches TV at night. She may even be in Star. but it doesn't matter. She gets her fun after the bombs are done. *evil laugh* TTFN!


	17. Ch 17 Search

**Disclaimer:** owning this is like a dream. we all have to wake up and realize it's not real eventually.

Like I said, this section's done so a couple quick updates before the next major arch. got a surprise at the end of this one for you! *insert evil laugh here* Oh and i don't do sports so if I spelled the thing wrong, correct me. =P

* * *

><p><em><strong>Where's Robin?<strong>_

**Ch. 17 – Search**

"Seriously, the guys just wanted to look at the wiring of the Jumbo-Tron," the guard Carl repeated over an over again as he led Batman down the dark hallways and catwalks. This thankfully was the same guard who saw that day's workers, and he was dutiful enough to note where they went and that they (being about six men in jumpsuits) were carrying a lot more equipment than he was used to seeing. This only helped confirm the detective's hunch of this being the right place to look. "I let them in and they did their jobs and were gone in an hour, tops."

"Were you with them the whole time?"

Carl shifted uncomfortably. "Well no. But they seemed nice enough."

"One of the Arkham escapees was Nitro, a pyrotechnic who sells his services to the highest bidder. He's easily scared into working for dangerous psychotics." Batman's eyes narrowed. He barely managed to get the man into Arkham. Most jurors deemed him sane enough for Blackgate, but the man was all about arson and a wimp so he didn't deserve that. They really needed to get another prison for the lower level crooks.

"That thing on the news," the guard started, "is this somehow connected to—"

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't."

The man fell back into silence as he fiddled with his keys. They were nearing the final door as the first communication from the team came in. "Aqualad to Batman."

Quickly he tapped his ear while Carl unlocked the final door. "Report."

"One of the news channels reports of the police finding the bomb in my sector. Gotham Port Authority. They are currently in the process of disarming it." Kaldur was trying to keep the relief from his voice and the man couldn't blame him. China Town was going to be tricky for anyone. It was a good thing Batman called Gordon to help narrow down the search. "They are also clearing the vicinity of civilians. Your orders?"

The door opened in front of the Bat, revealing the most intricately wired explosive he'd seen yet. And due to the fuel laid up around it, and from the make of the room and structure of the building, he estimated it could take out a third of the northern island. Worse yet, it was connected to the light switch as well as a timer.

"Oh God." Carl nearly wet himself when he saw it.

Batman stepped forward removing the light connection before the stunned guard could flip the switch. He cast the man a commanding glare before speaking another word.

"Get out of here and call the cops." Dumbly the guard turned and ran from him as fast as he could, dropping his keys in the process. Batman then tapped his ear to issue orders to the teen. "Go join Superboy in the Upper West Side. He may be stuck in Battergate. Keep him focused on the mission."

"Understood. Aqualad out."

Connection cut, Batman allowed himself a sigh. Two bombs found, three still missing. And he had a big one to work on. He had a hunch no two were alike. Just perfect.

* * *

><p>M'gann flew through every warehouse and alleyway she could in the harbor near the college. She saw a sign saying Burnley on it earlier, but really didn't pay much mind to it. Right then names were only names. She had to find a bomb.<p>

And yet despite her earlier hunch, she hadn't found a single sign of one! Sighing heavily, she rubbed her head and sat on the edge of one of the building's roofs. Maybe she was going about this all the wrong way. Her uncle was a detective; surely she had some skill in that area, didn't she?

"Okay, just need to step back and think about this another way." Off in the distance she heard a clock sound. One A.M.. She groaned. This was not good.

"Hello Megan," she recited, knocking her head as she got an idea. "Of course I'm thinking the wrong way. No one's seen it because it never left the car! Or bag! Or something like that!"

Quickly she was back to her feet, floating in the air as she though it out loud. "Okay, a bag or car in a place with hundreds of bags and cars. And this is Joker and his people we're talking about so… What did Batman and Robin say about that guy?

"Oh dear," she murmured to herself as she took back to the skies. "This is going to be a lot harder than I thought."

* * *

><p>Running at a normal speed around every back alley of Gotham's Crime Alley was the stupidest thing Wally ever thought he could do. He didn't know a thing about this place! All he knew about Crime Alley was that Batman liked to visit it more than any other part of town, and that was why <em>he<em> was strictly never to go there. That was what Robin said at least.

Now here he was wandering around looking for a bomb in the midst of the worst places on Earth. Thankfully no one approached him with guns or knives, not to say he didn't spot them. Nearly every fourth person he saw was carrying some kind of weapon, and about half of the night owls on the streets carried drugs or alcohol. The ones who weren't were either rushing to get home or out cold on the ground.

And yet no one bothered him. It was after one in the morning and no one was trying to mob him or sell him anything or trying to kill him.

"This is weird," he thought out loud. Crime Alley was supposed to be one of the worst places in the world, but so far all he could tell was it was in bad condition. Any of those who could have sold him something or tried to rob him, diverted their eyes another way when they saw him. It was like they thought he was Batman or something. "Is this really Crime Alley?"

Wally must have passed the free clinic three times before he sat down and tried yet again to figure out mentally where to go to find the bomb. He already searched the clinic and it was cleaner than most hospitals he'd been in. The doctor there, Leslie Thompkins, was quite accommodating and gave him some juice when he finished looking around. It really helped his sugar levels then. Now he wished he had some Mountain Dew to keep himself awake.

He rubbed his head as he thought long and hard, hoping to wake himself up a bit. This was Joker he was dealing with. He threatened Gotham for a non-existent cake on live television. He used knives, gas, bombs, and occasionally a gun. He was a certified, glory hogging, lunatic. And he did a lot of things to tick Batman off.

_Wait, Robin said Crime Alley was a place Batman frequently visited,_ Wally thought out slowly. _So Joker attacking this place, trying to destroy it, would tick off the big guy_. "So is there a really important place around here?"

He reached back into his memories when he was talking to Robin about Gotham. They pretty much stuck to the good parts when they hung out, but the bird boy did tell him about the bad things too. Places to avoid if they didn't want Bats to find out about their little adventures. That Star Wars marathon last summer was a blast.

The speedster looked up at the sign on the clinic. He remembered seeing the name of the place earlier and knowing he heard it before. The Thomas Wayne Memorial Clinic. Thomas Wayne.

Wayne.

Then it clicked. One of the major unsolved murders of their time, one his uncle told him about and challenged him to solve once. The Wayne murders. It happened right there in Crime Alley. The royal family of Gotham was leaving a theater one night and the king and queen were shot down in one of the back alleyways. Their kid was standing right behind them, watching them die, over twenty years ago. And the guy who did it was never caught.

_The world's greatest detective must come to this place whenever he has free time to try to solve that murder,_ Wally concluded. It was the biggest event that ever happened in this area, as far as he could tell. So Joker must have put the bomb somewhere in relation to it.

The alleyway? Nah, there were too many of them to figure out which one. Probably only the Wayne kid and the cop who did the initial investigation knew which one it was.

So it had to be the theater! He saw a rundown theater not too far off. It was condemned so he hadn't looked into it earlier. Who would put a bomb where no one died from it anyway? But if all Joker wanted to do was ruin moral, that was probably all he had to take down.

Quickly Wally jumped to his feet and took off running, barely keeping a normal human speed. Little did he know, someone who normally kept away from new comers had spotted him while he was sitting and tried to approach him. And now that the speedster was running, so was his shadow, cursing to itself.

* * *

><p>Conner tossed probably the thirtieth punk he'd fought that night to the ground, rolling his eyes as he did so. He was starting to see a trend. A good portion of these people were ill-educated and would not learn from their mistakes. That first punk he fought had called in his buddies and now everyone seemed to want a piece of him.<p>

And every single one of them called him 'farm boy'. What about him made the clone a 'farm boy'? It was getting very frustrating.

It was when he was twisting the arm of one of his opponents and saw their watch that he remembered the bomb again. It was nearing two in the morning and he was wasting his time with these guys. He threw this guy aside then glared at the pile of thugs and the others coming towards him. "Unless you can tell me where Joker's men put his bomb, go home."

"Is that a threat farm boy?" Mr. Too Many Earrings was back. His nose still looked broken.

"It's why I'm here stupid." Conner shook his head. "You know what? Forget it. I'll look somewhere else."

Before any of the thugs could touch him, the clone leaped into the air and far away from them. They tried to follow him with their eyes, their mouths agape, but soon lost sight of him after the second leap.

"Dude," one of them started in shock, "were we fightin' Superman?"

"I won' say nothin' if you won'."

Once he was satisfied that he lost them, Conner went back down to the streets to walk normally. His hunt for the bomb wasn't over, and he still didn't have any clues about it. After a few more minutes of walking, Kaldur hailed him on the communicator. "What's up?"

"Have you located the bomb yet?"

He gave a heavy sigh. "Not yet. Got hung up by some punks. Do I look like a 'farm boy' to you?"

"I would not know. I was about to rendezvous with you when I caught something on the news radio. They located the bomb in your district."

Conner jerked to a stop, both surprised and relieved. "They did? Where was it?"

"At a bar policemen frequently visit, Finnigan's I believe. The owner found it earlier this afternoon."

"Then how do they know it's one of Joker's?" It seemed just a little too easy. The madman targeted a cop bar?

"He left a signature of sorts there. Apparently this one contained laughing gas."

"Great. That's one down." Conner leaned against an alley wall. With his target now being taken care of, what was he supposed to do? Return to the gangbangers and teach them a lesson about going after metahumans?

"Three actually." This jerked the clone wide awake. Three? "The one I was assigned was found by Gotham PD near an hour ago. And when I informed Batman of yours being discovered, he told me to shut up and let him work on the one he was disarming."

"So all that's left is M'gann's and Wally's?" He looked around for a moment. He was still pretty far from the phone booth zeta-point and technically the mission wasn't done yet. He didn't really feel like going home yet anyway.

"Correct. I am headed towards M'gann's location right now. Apparently she is having difficulty finding the bomb there as well. Care to join us?"

A weary smile came to the boy of steel's face. He knew he'd have to face his girlfriend's wrath sooner or later. Hopefully the continual bomb threat would continue to make it later.

"Just tell me how to get there."

* * *

><p>Searching the abandoned theater took more energy than Wally thought. He rubbed his eyes for the hundredth time, trying not to think of his bed back home or the one he borrowed the other night. This place was crumbling to the ground, condemned for a very good reason. And despite it being so old and decrepid, he couldn't find any traces of the bomb he was looking for.<p>

He looked everywhere. From the control booths, to the bathrooms, to the basement. Every closet, every shelf, every box. Heck, he even looked through every row of seats he could get to! And all he could find was people sleeping or strays taking shelter. This was a place for squatters. And every conscious person there wouldn't talk to him, mostly because they were either high or drunk.

The teen ran a hand through his hair as he tried to think of another place the bomb could be. Was Batman's intel wrong about this place? There weren't that many places to look really. And he exhausted all the options he could think of. Clinics, churches, landmarks, everything. The only other option he could see were homes and apartment buildings. That meant waking up everyone in this district and making them search their homes for something dangerous. And trying that was dangerous. Who knew who'd try to be a hero and disarm the thing themselves.

As he exited the building, he walked straight into his shadow, toppling it over. "Hey!"

Jerking himself awake, Wally looked down to where his shadow fell and reached to help it up. "Sorry about that."

"Rule one about Crime Alley bub." A pair of bright green eyes glared up at him. It sent him for a spell, seeing this boy in front of him. Wally knew he was being followed at one point, but lost his shadow before making it into the theater. He didn't know it was a kid. "Don't say sorry. Just get the hell out of there."

Green met green as Wally looked the kid over. Raggedy clothes that barely held onto his frame, growth stunted due to improper nutrition, and body so dirty he wasn't sure what his hair or skin tone really were. He imagined there was red in the kid's hair, but it could have been black too. He was really getting tired.

The speedster smirked in spite of himself. What was this kid doing up so late anyway? "I'm not from around here."

"No duh." The kid took his hand and let himself be pulled up. Judging by his size, Wally guessed he was about nine or ten. Kinda hard to tell with the way he was glaring at him. "Never heard of a cape like you around here."

"Say what?" He gaped at the kid in shock, not moving even as the boy tugged on his hand urgently.

"That's what you are right?" The kid persisted. "And you're looking for Joker's bomb. It was all over the news. This way!"

"Hold the phone here kiddo!" Wally blinked dumbly at this guy. How did he know he was a superhero? Or 'cape' as people on the streets called them. "What makes you think I'm a—"

"It's so freakin' obvious it's a miracle you weren't arrested!" His urgent tugging and glares persisted, dragging the teen out of his stupor. "Now come on! Or the whole street will blow up!"

"The whole street?" Wally didn't need any more coaxing. He quickly moved in time with the kid, determined to work. The boy sped up once he knew he had the teen's attention.

"Yeah. I saw a couple guys yesterday foolin' around the old gas line," he explained. "It runs all down this street. Dagget's guys tried the same thing last year when no one would move out for his mini-mall, so a few of us kept an eye on things. Checked it out after I saw the news earlier. Been waiting for a cape or cop ever since."

"Why didn't you call 9-1-1?" Really, most people would have reported it by now.

The kid rolled his eyes as he guided him around a corner. "Rule two about Crime Alley. 9-1-1s don't work around here unless it's a murder. Ya have more luck catching Batman than gettin' a cop. Us and the 'War Zone' are lost causes. Think only capes give a damn if we live or die half the time."

Wally looked over the boy for a moment, seeing the hardened street kid for what he was. He kind of reminded him of Artemis when she first joined the team, but he also reminded him of Robin. Already this guy had seen too much for his age, but he was going to do what he could anyway.

"You got a name kid?" May as well strike up a conversation with the street punk who'd save Crime Alley.

As they came to a boarded up entrance to an old gas station, the kid grinned broadly. "Yeah, do you?"

Smart-aleck. "Easton. Now yours."

"It's Jason."

* * *

><p>AN: *sqwee!* yay! Jason! I don't use him too much in my stories, and this is probably the first time I've mentioned him in YJ, but he is a crime alley native! Love how Wally's trying to be a detective, gets so close and still doesn't get it. I know in the cartoon he knows Rob and Bat's IDs, but in this little pocket dimension I call 16.23 he doesn't. Because when I first started writing these fics, it wasn't clear whether he did or not. Can't get to a comic store around here. *pouts*

But yay! Jason! Mr. Come back from dead and blow everything up! He's here saving the day! Gotta love Jason. XD

nobody noted earlier how those thugs fighting Conner called him farm boy. *pouts* I love making similarities between him and Clark's real IDs. I make another in the next chapter. til then! ^^V


	18. Ch 18 And Conquer

**Disclaimer:** Oh how I wished I owned things. But like the Nile, Young Justice is far out of my reach. *sigh*

Now for the conclusion of the bombs! Like the Jason cameo? I promised batfam, and I'm delivering. He gets some more action in this and the next chapter, then he's gone. Sorry, he's not yet a Robin cannon wise. Gotta keep him out of Bruce's eye for the next few years and all that.

Mostly M'gann and co here actually. thought it'd be best to wrap it up with her. I had fun with these chapter titles. Hopefully the next set of them are better. ^^;

* * *

><p><em><strong>Where's Robin?<strong>_

**Ch. 18 – And Conquer**

M'gann flew over all of Chelsea, hoping for something to stick out. The only thing so far she could say looked strange was how quickly the crowd was thinning. Apparently there were enough people who had school the next day that the streets were finally becoming empty.

Still didn't help her find the bomb though.

'_M'gann,_' Kaldur called out mentally. Eagerly the Martian looked around for her friend. She feared using her telepathic link while they were so far apart, but worried more about the coms. They hardly used them in the past so she wasn't sure if she'd remember how. It was a relief to hear their leader in her head.

'_Kaldur! You're here!_'

She spotted him in Kingston Square below, and sensed Conner racing up to meet him. She floated down to the street, changing her image back to that girl scout disguise she used before.

'_Yes we are._' Kaldur gave her a brief smile as she came into view. The clone was still a ways off, but close enough for him to hear her speak.

"You two found the bombs?" She tried not to sound despirate for help.

He shook his head. "Both of us were beaten to it by the police. I take it you have not had such luck."

Megan shook her head slowly. "And it's almost three! I've looked everywhere I can think of! The docks are clear and I didn't see anything at the planetarium or college."

"And if the police have not been informed…"

"Then no one's seen it all night." She looked around worried. "I hope Wally and Batman are having better luck than me."

"Batman is already working on one," the Atlantian informed her as Conner finally joined them. "And I anticipate he will join Kid Flash when he is done. For now we should look for the bomb here."

"Hi guys," Conner started, trying to be friendly. "Quiet night."

"It was noisy a few hours ago," Megan started, looking around. "This place was packed with students. I think it's just now winding down. Do people in college ever sleep?"

Both boys shrugged, one having lived under the sea for most his life and the other having no idea what life was like outside of high school and the League. Frankly only she would have known because of all the TV she watched on Mars.

The clone looked around quickly, noting all the stores and attractions this one place had. Bookstores, coffee shops, bars, convenience stores, this place was undergrad heaven. And it looked like there was an ampatheater near the center of it, if they ever shut off the fountain in the center. The place was still well lit and it looked like it was used a lot at night.

"Hey, any idea how many people will be here in the morning?"

His teammates exchanged glances then looked around once more. This particular area was cluttered with people until maybe an hour ago. On one side was Gotham University and on the other was a lot of off campus student housing. Plus with all the coffee shops and delis there, they could only guess how many would pass through for food and a shortcut. "Hundreds…"

"It is here." Kaldur stiffened as he looked around the place. "Spread out and look for it."

"It's probably in a backpack or briefcase or in a car," Megan informed them quickly. "If no one's seen it all day, it has to be in plain sight and no one knows. Like our hideout."

"On it!" Conner launched himself into the air to get a better look before starting his search.

* * *

><p>Jason was a pretty amazing street kid. He maneuvered around the pipes and wires underground quickly and quietly, plus he had a flashlight on him. Granted the light was dying but it was better than nothing. Wally was having a hard time keeping up with him and even harder one finding a path he could use. It must have been a Gotham thing to crawl over and under every bar and pipe over using normal things like ladders or stairs. Robin made him do this once too.<p>

When he finally got to an area he could stretch in, he looked around. Sure enough he was in a service tunnel, and just forty feet away he could see a ladder going up. Jason made him use the most difficult method to get in there after all. "We could have used that ladder to get down here you know."

"That one's blocked," Jason explained, motioning him further away from their possible point of entry. "Crock threw a dumpster into it to stop Batman from following his escape. The construction topside supposed to get it fixed. Figured Bats used this way up 'cause the freak didn't get far. The next closest one to it's about three blocks away. It's faster getting there this way."

"You sure know this place."

The kid smirked. "Born, bred, and raised here. Don't you know every inch of your neighborhood?"

Wally shrugged as he followed the kid. He'd only lived in Central a couple years. Before that it was a small place in Montana. And it wasn't long after he moved to Central that he became Kid Flash. He'd been too busy trying to save a city to learn every hidey-hole of his block. "I move around a lot."

Jason shrugged, leading him down a narrow service tunnel. It twisted around twice before making it to another big opening. Wally spotted another nearby ladder and, better yet, a cheep service elevator. He grinned to himself. Getting out wouldn't be a problem after all.

The kid picked up a leftover lantern from the side and turned it on to save his own flashlight. It worked much better for both of them, especially when they finally spotted the bomb. The speedster sucked in all the air he could when he saw it.

The bomb was firmly attached to the gas line and there really wasn't any wiring to dismantle. The timer was part of the explosive. Who ever set this one up knew what they were doing. It wouldn't take much to ignite this pipeline's contents, and once it was on fire only emergency protocols would stop it. Guessing by the layout of the service tunnel and what the kid had said before, blowing up this one pipe would probably take out all of Park Row and parts of the neighboring districts. Hundreds of lives would be lost before anything could be done about it.

Worst part was, Wally had no idea how to disarm it.

"Well?" The teen had trouble looking at the kid who stared up at him expectantly. "Aren't cha gonna get rid of it or something?"

He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "It's not that simple. There's no wiring, no easy access to the detonator, no… wait. Get rid of it?"

Wally looked back to the kid, an idea starting to form. Jason nodded, a little irked. "I know it's not a normal bomb dufus. Ya don't see bombs like that in James Bond. So I think getting rid of it's the best bet we've got right?"

Slowly the speedster grinned. The kid was spot on. "Right. Okay, I'm gonna need something to cool down the timer. Got some kind of cooling spray? But not water."

The kid thought long and hard about this then nodded. "I know where to get some. There's this thing our landlady uses to get rid of gum that might work."

"Get it. And I'm gonna need a bag and a spatula or something. Gotta scrape this thing off."

"Got it. Be right back!" Jason was off like a shot, darting up the ladder as if he were a squirrel. Kid could move fast when he wanted to. Soon Wally found himself alone again, alone with the bomb. Alone with the bomb and a crazy idea to defuse it.

Maybe now would be a good time to check in.

* * *

><p>Batman was nearly done untangling the wires of the device in the Jumbo-Tron of the Knight's Stadium, determining which ones were live and which ones weren't at long last. Majority he found were decoys, wires reconnecting to the explosives just to frustrate whomever found this bomb. Overall, this particular bomb was meant to be a diversion, and it irked him to no end.<p>

He studied what was left of the wiring, trying to figure out which one to cut first. Red? Green? Indigo? Where did these people get a wire like that? Before he could make a move to cut even one, his ear piece went off. "What?"

"Hey Batman! Found my bomb!" Wally said as cheerfully as possible, but he could still hear the nervousness in his voice.

"Where?" Batman leaned forward with his clippers, seeing it was the yellow one he had to get first.

"That's the problem. It's puddy plastique with the timer/detonator inside the goop and it's attached to the main gas line under Park Row."

The man hesitated cutting the wire when he heard this. Joker was trying the same thing Dagget did a year back, but this time it was better set. Bats used that explosive combination on occasion and he knew how difficult it was to defuse it. It was why he used it in the first place. That bomb was going to be a nightmare

The speedster continued talking. "I've got an idea though and I wanted to run it past you first. Something I read in my uncle's science journals and one of Rob's tech magazines. Is it true I can freeze the timer's systems with certain aerosols?"

"Some can do that," the Bat admitted. He remembered the article in question. "If it has enough coolant."

"Good. My theory is if I freeze dry the timer for a bit I can scrape it off the pipe then get it out of here. Maybe run over to the harbor before it goes off or something. Think it'll work? Or will I just blow us all up to kingdom come?"

Batman ran a hand over his cowl. It was a sound theory, but only if Wally had a second pair of hands and was extremely careful while removing the puddy. It'd be better if he had dry ice to freeze the actual explosive as well, but beggars can't be choosers. After a long moment of thought, he nodded. "Do you have someone else with you?"

This made the teen gulp. "Uh… yeah? The kid who actually found the thing. He's getting the stuff right now."

A kid? '_Great. My family's death site is completely at the mercy of two kids_.' He shook his head. "Have him keep the spray going while you scrape it off. Then I want you out of there. Head due east and stop for nothing. Drop it half a mile off shore and then get back to the kid. Make sure he makes it home. Then head to the zeta-port. The others are looking for the last one now."'

"They found them?" Wally honestly sounded surprised. Was he paying attention to the transmissions at all?

"Gotham PD took care of two of them and I'm working on mine." He clipped the yellow wire at last, then to the indigo. "Finish the job and go home."

"But—"

"Now."

The finality in his tone ended all argument. He could hear Wally pout a bit before the teen cut off the transmission. Batman sighed heavily as he cut his third wire. Just four more and he'd be done. The team could handle the other two. West certainly was capable of it. The others…

The man shook his head before clipping the green one. Three to go. Then he'd check on M'gann and the rest.

* * *

><p>"Found it!" Conner shouted ecstatically. Both Megan and Kaldur jerked away from the trash cans, random bags and stray vehicles they were searching when they heard him. The clone had the back doors of a minivan open, showing an intricate bomb filled with shrapnel and corrosive materials. This one was set to detonate when the morning rush of students was in full swing.<p>

"At last," Kaldur murmured lowly.

"Does anyone here know how to defuse a bomb?" Megan inquired. They all exchanged glances, unsure what to do.

"Uhh…"

"Isn't it usually the red one?" Conner tried, reaching over to the device.

"No!" Kaldur grabbed his hand, yanking it away before he could set the thing off. "We do not know what we are doing here. It would be better to call the police and have them deal with it."

"Oh, so we just find the thing then let the pros handle it?" The clone gestured at the bomb and the surrounding area. "It took the three of us half an hour to find it. And M'gann's been looking for it since, what, midnight? It's time we finished this!"

"Kaldur's right Conner," Megan started, a worried glare coming to her face. "We really should let someone who knows what they're doing take care of it. We could blow up the entire square, and get ourselves killed. We're not _all_ immune to fire."

"But—" he tried again, only to feel the full weight of their glares. For a moment he forgot he was talking to the two members on his team most susceptible to fire. An explosion might kill them. Looking away he cringed. "Fine. But at the least, let's clear it of shrapnel or get the van away from here."

"That sounds reasonable." Kaldur looked around for a payphone. "I will make the call. You two hold tight."

"Got it." Conner reached back into the van, carefully removing the large fragments stored all around the explosive. Megan assisted with her telekinesis, keeping a yard away from it for safety. It didn't take long for Kaldur to place the anonymous call to the police then leave the phone hanging. He moved to join the others just as Conner bumped a wire. The timer sped up.

"Ah crap."

All three of them gaped as the numbers rapidly dialed down from three hours left to zero. Instantly Conner projected a mental image to the others, slamming the van's doors closed. He grabbed the bottom of the vehicle, braced himself, and leapt into the air as high as he could. Near the top of his leap, he launched it into the sky, sending it higher than the closest buildings in sight. As he fell towards the ground, he felt Megan's powers rush by him, shoving it even higher than that Wayne Tower they were on earlier.

Conner could hear the timer's final beeps giving him just enough warning to physically cover his girlfriend. "GET DOWN!"

The explosion roared above them, the sound wave pushing them towards the ground. The heat would have reached them as well if Kaldur hadn't whipped out his water-bearers and formed an arching shield between them and the flames. Chunks of the car crashed all around them, smashing windows and lunch tables at random. Thankfully the place was clear of people at last so no one was injured, but the property damages around them would be hard enough to explain later.

As the flames high above them died down, Conner dared look up. The water shield was holding but their leader was losing steam. He had been up since six the previous day, searching endlessly for his teammates after all. Once the debris had finished falling, he let the arching shield fall, quickly spreading what water he could around to stop the fires around them. But he was running out.

"Superboy! The hydrant!"

"On it!" The clone looked over his girlfriend for a moment before dashing towards the fire hydrant. Within seconds he ripped the thing off, spraying water everywhere. Quickly the Atlantian moved the fountain's liquid around the square, joined shortly by Megan. Within ten minutes the fires were out and all three of them were soaked with the residual spray.

Megan looked around helplessly, looking over the damage. "Oh boy. If we weren't in trouble before, we are now."

"Indeed," Kaldur murmured.

Conner jerked his head around. "Guys, I hear sirens."

As the three of them took off running to hide away from the police, their leader's earpiece went off. "What happened?"

Kaldur paled. Batman's tone was not pleased. "We attempted to help disarm the bomb and accidentally sped up the timer. Superboy and Miss Martian got it out of harms way, but the debris started a few fires. We managed to put them out and now the police have arrived to take care of the rest."

"Any casualties?"

"Property damage but no loss of life." The three of them turned one last corner in the alleyways before M'gann launched them into the air towards the rooftops. Keeping hidden was becoming more difficult with all the cops coming in.

"Why didn't you report it?" None of them could ignore the growl in his voice. Involuntarily they all shrunk back.

"Um…"

"It was an accident! I swear!" Conner insisted, trying to back his friend up. M'gann nodded vigorously, forgetting the argument was audio only. "I just bumped something while getting rid of the shrapnel and it went off!"

Silence came from the other end for a while as the three teens raced across rooftops, trying to get as far from Kingston Square as possible. There was an audible sigh on the other end, one loaded with frustration. They could almost imagine him saying 'figures' in that breath. "Get to the zeta-point. Kid Flash will meet up with you later."

"What about—"

"I've just finished mine, and his—"

They heard a far off explosion, jerking their attention away once again. They saw a large geyser rise from the north eastern harbor but no flames. The teens gaped at the sight.

"—is taken care of. Get home. I expect individual reports tomorrow afternoon. Batman out."

* * *

><p>AN: YAY! the bombs are all gone! no one died, the end. XD JK, but seriously, that was a hard arch to get done! and that thing with the aresol, really don't think it works. I read in another fanfic about Tim hunting around the manor for a cooling spray like that (names escape me) in order to mess with a computer chip, so I just theorized something similar working with timers on bombs. The puddy plastique, that's straight from Red Hood. Location for the bomb/incident in crime alley I refer to comes from BTAS, appointment in crime alley I think. Dagget hired Nitro to make a series of explosions look like an accident and the main gas line under the place did all the damage. Bats obviously stopped them. And the Crock Jason refereed to is Killer Crock, not Artemis' dad. Didn't realize the easy mistake until now. *looks away*

then there's M'gann's bomb. I thought it'd figure if Conner bumped the wrong thing on accident and make a mess of things. Then they'd get rid of the car. yeah, lots of property damages. And who's gonna pay for all of that? B3

Anywho, Jason was fun, Bats and Wally are the most competent in the group to get the bombs disarmed/taken care of, and Gotham is now safe. Didn't really like how sudden I ended this chapter but didn't know how to wrap it up any better. Everything I tried just sucked. The next chapter's written already. Just getting ready to have the rest of the cases taken on. *cheers*


	19. Ch 19 Night's Aftermath

**Disclaimer:**What's ownership? well it's something I sure don't have, particularly over DC comics characters.

Get ready to say goodbye to Jason! Now you're gonna see what certain results are from the past few chapters. *evil laugh* Warning, someone in this story's got a dirty mind. Maybe not always, but I know some people out there are that crazy to think that way. My response is the other person's. Ick. Oh, also a brief reference to 'Necessary Lies', my strangely most faved short here.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Where's Robin?<strong>_

**Ch. 19 – Night's Aftermath**

Artemis glowered at the news report in her banged up hands. School was nearly over when she finally heard about Joker's plot the other night. And the rumor of four teenage vigilantes saving the party. She was going to kill Wally and the rest when she got back to the mountain. Could it hurt them to call her up and offer her a crack at it too? It wasn't often Batman allowed other heroes to operate in his city, let alone metas.

Sure her hands still needed to mend after last Friday, but an offer would have been nice. She lived in the Bowery, just a stone's throw away from where one of the bombs detonated. The drunk who lived just twenty feet outside her building commented on how it rained fish last night. She should have been part of that. She should have known who made that happen.

Instead she was at home sound asleep and completely ignorant of what had happened.

"This happened last night?" she clarified with a growl.

Bette nodded, breathing out slowly. "Yeah. Daddy was at the party and said Batman should have just gotten the clown his cake. How hard is it for him to get his girlfriend to make him some magic cake anyway?"

"I don't think Batman even has a girlfriend," Artemis stated, letting the paper drop from her hands. She was going to kill Wally later. How dare he not call her to help! This was her home town! Course no one but maybe Robin knew this, but still…

"But all those rumors says he and Wonder Woman are an item," the deb rebutted.

"They also say she's with Superman. Some people even say Superman and Batman are together. Are you gonna believe everything you read online?" The archer raised an eyebrow as she finished. All those silly rumors and she hadn't found an ounce of truth for any of it. If anything, the two main men of the League seemed to argue about methods and actions whenever they were together and not talking about a mission. And really, whenever those rumors were brought up around Robin, he'd scoff or laugh.

He did mention once that Batman had a thing for Catwoman, then that both Superman and Wonder Woman had relationships with non-leaguers. Who or what they were he left to their imagination. Rob seemed pretty animate about Bats with the Cat though. Weird.

Bette thought about it for a moment then gave an evil grin. "Maybe it's a three-way."

"Thanks for the lovely image." Artemis winced before she leaned against the gym locker. PE hadn't even started yet and she already wanted a shower. "Just the way to kick-start my afternoon. A talk on the big three's sex lives."

"Hey, have either of you heard from Dick?"

Both juniors turned to their classmate, raising eyebrows. Barbara Gordon didn't usually talk to them, but she usually picked socializing with them over other girls. Artemis didn't quite know why. After all, this was the commissioner's girl and she was a super criminal's daughter with an assassin sister. Bette made more sense since she was on the student council and on the right side of the law. But Barbara was a strange one. A strange high profile target who hung out mostly with the top level target in the school.

Speaking of which, "Nope. Why?"

"I think he's sick," Bette piped in, a small groan in her voice. Artemis smirked. Her first friend there didn't care much for Grayson in the slightest. Something about his jokes and being a sort-of cousin.

Barbara's eyes narrowed slightly, looking at her cell. "Really? Weird."

"Why's that weird?" Artemis asked despite herself. Other than a few brief encounters with the guy, she really didn't know him. Sure saved him once or twice (very high profile target that one) but at school they weren't really on speaking terms.

"'Cause he always answers my calls." Her thoughtful expression became troubled. "Even when he's sick. That guy doesn't stay still unless he's strapped to his bed with a concussion."

The archer couldn't help but to laugh a little. "Sounds like one of my friends at my old school."

The redhead gave a conflicted sigh before putting her phone in her shoe, securing everything in her locker for later. "Guess I'll try again later."

"Okay ladies!" their gym teacher shouted over the din. "Line 'em up! We've got the south gym today."

The two blonds gave heavy sighs before going to their places in line. Another Monday, another class, another piece of life. And Artemis still hadn't figured out what she was going to do to the others when she made it back to the mountain that afternoon. Wally was going to pay for not calling her. M'gann and the rest too, but he was first. After all, he's the idiot who shot Robin.

* * *

><p>It was really hard to stay awake that day. Sure thanks to living further west than the others he got more sleep, but by the end of the previous night he was running on empty. Wally fell asleep in nearly every class that day, even gym. The only class he didn't nearly pass out in was chemistry, and that was because of the lab he was doing.<p>

Every time he fell asleep he dreamt of the previous night's adventures. Taking that kid Jason home was the icing on the cake. The guy was almost dancing in the street the whole way there, shouting and cheering about how the two of them saved Crime Alley.

"That was so freakin' cool!" he probably shouted for the fiftieth time that night. "Who knew that gum-away stuff could shut down a bomb?"

"You learn something new every day kid. This your place?" Wally had looked up when the kid started climbing one of the fire escapes.

"Pretty much." Jason scrambled up, swinging his legs upward as he went. During one of his stretches Wally spotted the tip of a batarang poking out of his back pocket. The speedster smirked. He ran into a Batman fan.

"What's wrong with the front door?" he asked as casually as he could.

The boy shrugged. "Nothing much. Just forgot my keys and don't wanna wake my mom."

"What about your dad?" he asked causally. Wally kinda wanted to tell the kid's parents how much of a hero their son was.

But all he got was an eye roll. "Who knows, who cares. Working for Penguin?"

"Dude, that's sad." How could this kid live with this kind of attitude? Didn't he care at all for his dad?

"Beats working for Joker or Two-Face." Jason shrugged, pretending not to care. "I hear they kill their men for no real reason. Penguin actually treats his men like employees. It's only if they squawk that he gets someone to kill ya. If they get busted, they're off the hook. It better be Penguin this time."

This time Wally detected the worry in the kid's voice. He did care for his dad. He just didn't want to think about it. Frankly the speedster would feel the same if his dad was into crime. Oh crap! This kid's dad's a criminal! Minor one for sure, but still…

How did the son of a criminal turnout to be a hero for Crime Alley?

"Well, this is my stop!" Jason jerked Wally out of his thoughts. The kid gave a cert salute, grinning down on him from the fire escape. He managed to get high above the speedster while he was thinking. "Til next time 'Easton', or do you prefer Kid Flash? Either way, it was a blast."

With that, he darted into the building, leaving Wally in the cold, literally. The teen couldn't help but to laugh at the kid's antics. This kid could give Robin lessons on cheekiness.

Jerking out of his drowsy stupor, Wally debated ditching his last class and hiding out in the nurse's office to sleep. Course then his parents would be notified and then they'd know he wasn't sleeping at the mountain, but he'd be rested. He figured he was screwed with his uncle. Bats would definitely tell him now. There was only so much the man would tolerate, and kids were pretty much the guy's weakness. Wonder what the guy would make them do as punishment.

_Okay, forget the mountain_, Wally thought, realizing this thinking was becoming more and more scattered as the day dragged on. _When school's out, I'm crashing in my bed._

* * *

><p>Conner buried himself in his homework as he waited for Megan to finish her cheer practice. He was saved from her temper due to exhaustion after they arrived back in the mountain last night and this morning. But he had a feeling his luck wasn't going to last much longer. He really had to figure out a way to apologize to her, and hope she'd accept it more than the feeble one he gave the previous night when she found him and Wally.<p>

Still… As he peaked up to watch the Bumble Bees doing their routine, he could see the girl's exhaustion. The clone might get another day or so before her earlier anger finally reached him. Then again they hardly spoke to each other since meeting up once more. Maybe she was giving him the silent treatment. Was she the type to do that to him? Would she rather yell at him or make him agonize over her not talking to him?

Thinking about all this hurt the kryptonian's head. Girls were so complicated. And it didn't help that they were both aliens. Did Superman have to deal with this?

* * *

><p>Bruce Wayne nursed his fourth cup of coffee that day as he made his way back to his office. The events of last night played in his mind a few times despite corporate matters throughout the day. Money never sleeps, and neither did he, or the Joker.<p>

As he settled behind his large desk, he tapped a hidden panel, securing the room. Within moments a holoscreen appeared on his desk, allowing him access to multiple computers he set up. Everything from Mount Justice to the Watchtower to his home base was connected to this server, given he applied the right codes. Standing access invited trouble whenever Dick was left alone in that room.

Despite needing to focus on Joker's latest plot and trying to figure out what Scarecrow might be planning in the near future, Bruce found his mind and eyes wander over to a picture of Dick on is desk. That mischievous smirk taunted him when the photo was taken, telling the man he had done something to amuse himself later. That particular prank turned his mouth green for two days. Clever kid.

An ache welled inside the billionaire's chest. When would he be on the receiving end of his pranks again? It was nearly four days now. Four days since he heard the kid's laughter or inane wordplay. Did he really have to wait out the week to get his boy back?

His hands moved before he even registered what he was going. Thankfully his mind woke up before the other end picked up, audio only. "Stewart, Gardner, what's your status?"

"We should be rendezvousing with Hal within the next few hours," John reported formally. "We're locked on to his signal."

"Bit anxious to get your kid back aren't cha Bats?" Guy teased.

The dark knight glared at the offending audio feed. It didn't matter how far away he was from that particular lantern. He never failed to offend anyone. Bruce heard a sharp slap and protest moments later, giving him a dark smirk. Count on John to correct the rookie in an old fashioned manner.

"We'll contact you as soon as we're with him," Stewart finished. Muddled grumbling continued from the other lantern but was ignored.

"Understood. Batman out."

His fingers flew across the keypad as the connection cut. One more call then he'd return to his work in Gotham. As Hal Jordon picked up, he heard an explosion. "Now's not a good time. Can I call you back?"

"Status?"

"Firefight with a few smugglers. I was just trying to hitch a ride to catch some zees and they thought I was gonna get them for contraband. Might be a liiittle late now."

"John and Guy are closing in on your location." Bruce prepared to reopen the channel to the other lanterns. Hal had to bring those tags in or his boy would be lost. And to do that he needed backup. "Hold tight and don't do anything stupid."

"No promises." An explosion went off behind him. "Take your time. The fun's just getting started."

"John," Bruce switched channels with fluid motions, "Hal's under fire."

"Understood. ETA, thirty minutes. We'll recharge on the road." The military man's tone was all he needed to reassure the CEO that all that could be done was being done. Quickly he relayed the message to Hal then settled back in his chair, deep in thought.

The Green Lanterns were having some trouble. The valued tags were in danger. If Hal broke one of them, he'd break the man's arm. If Guy did, it might be a body cast. John, he'd probably punish himself before going back into space to get another set, Hal tagging along this time. Oh how he wished he didn't have to rely on these space cops to get his bird home.

Bruce gave a tired sigh before rubbing his eyes, mentally trying to switch gears. Joker and Scarecrow. Joker was the bigger threat. He had to be found, and fast. The longer he was out of Arkham, the more bodies would mount.

For a moment he thought of the team and their actions the previous night. Wally's attempts at disarming the explosives along with Conner's inevitable setting one off reminded him of the neglected part of their training. He'd have to talk to Canary about it later. Those kids really did rely on Robin too much for the technical things, and he only knew how to disarm a handful of explosives.

Then there was the fact they were in Gotham. Judging from the zeta-tube records and camera footage from the cave, Conner was in town since Saturday evening. Wally just a few hours earlier. M'gann and Kaldur arrived Sunday morning in hopes of finding the two and taking them home. Artemis seemed unaware of any of this.

Though it was a stroke of good fortune they were there, ready and able to take on Joker's plans, they violated a direct order to stay out of Gotham unless called in. He'd have to take measures to prevent this from happening again. Then again, they had saved his life and the life of those at the party. They even managed to save the city.

Bruce rubbed his chin in thought. Joker was difficult to find to say the least. An extra pair of eyes was always handy when it came to him. Who knew how much time he had left before the maniac struck again, and this time made sure his plot worked? And the four of them practically volunteered to help out.

A sinister smirk grew on his face. Well, if they wanted to know what Gotham and her psychopaths were really like, then let them.

* * *

><p>AN: ha ha! time to see Bruce's more sinister side. *evil laugh* but You'll have to wait a bit 'cause I wanna get through tuesday in the story before posting more. =P

Bruce and the rest haven't forgotten about Rob, they just have every day life to take care of too. Babs would be the one to note Dick being missing. I think I may make that an issue later. She is a persistent one. Wave goodbye to Jason! I think he won't be appearing for the rest of this story. But he sure is fun to write! I'm putting him in other stories later.

So Artemis is ticked, Wally's exhausted and probably in trouble, Conner really is in trouble, and it's unknown how Kaldur and M'gann are. I hate having large casts. Too many people to manage. XP Hopefully I can manage to juggle the next couple days and them before i bring Robin home. And I am going to solve the cases before I get him home. I refer to these cases in 'Without Me' so I have to tie them up. Still haven't figured out how to tie up another one. XP Til next time!


	20. Ch 20 Getting Back

**Disclaimer:** how I wished I owned young justice! then you'd get some awesome stories going on there. Not to say they aren't awesome already, but I've got a few kickers too. X3**_  
><em>**

Yeah, not exactly done with this section, but I wanted to get the filler bit over with. Plus I've got a question at the bottom. See below for details.

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><p><em><strong>Where's Robin?<strong>_

**Ch. 20 – Getting Back**

"How'd you do it?"

Wally stared blankly at his uncle while trying to hide his guilt, unable to fathom what he was asking. "Do what?"

"Get Bats to let you in his city." Barry handed him a tablet, on which was a mission report written by Kaldur. All of it talked about last night as if it were a mission from Batman himself. The teen just gaped at the screen, then at the notes Batman left on the report. That fiasco the previous night was now a sanctioned, successful mission.

"I've been working with the man for nearly eight years and never once was he happy about me stopping over unannounced. Let alone after I'd done something he didn't like." The uncle actually seemed amazed and proud of his nephew.

A weak smile came on Wally's face. "I honestly have no idea."

Batman covered for them. He couldn't believe it. Batman actually covered for them! It was a Christmas miracle! The guy really did have a heart! And it wasn't reserved to Robin alone, or any of those evil ladies the guy reported him dating.

_Wait,_ the young speedster realized, _there's no way we're off the hook that easily._ Considering how often Rob was grounded for disobeying orders, and what Bats had him do as punishment, there was no way they were getting off this easy. Especially him.

And he was due back at the cave in half an hour.

* * *

><p><em>Recognized Red Arrow – B06<em>

"What brings you here?" Artemis asked the archer as soon as he entered the cave.

The young man rubbed his neck and shoulder, exhausted. "Ran out of supplies after taking on Sportsmaster and Cheshire, not to mention a dozen or so goons. They were hitting a local military supplier for some reason. Some secret experiment by some scientist named Stone. Since I was in town, I thought I'd restock here and see how Robin's retrieval is going."

The girl rolled her eyes and glared in the general direction of the rest of the team. "Dunno about that. But _these guys_ decided to help Batman out in Gotham, without telling me."

Roy's eyes grew wide. "He let them in Gotham? Seriously?"

"I would not say 'let' my friend." Kaldur joined him, if only to avoid the silent fight between Conner and M'gann. Wally was trying to make himself small in a corner while eating what remained of their pretzels. "Wally and Conner went there unannounced Saturday night. M'gann and I attempted to retrieve them and ended up joining them when a crisis struck."

"Yeah, I read the play by play in Batman's report," Artemis growled bitterly. _And saw it on the news,_ she added mentally. "He painted it like another mission."

"How did you guys manage that?" There was a universal rule with Batman. No meta heroes in his city without permission. And frankly, unless invited no other heroes came there either. "He would have tanned my hide by now if I tried that stunt."

"There were bombs set by Joker at several different locations," Kaldur explained. "I believe he required the help we provided."

Internally Roy groaned. Figures. "Take it you guys disarmed them or something?"

"The police did most of it actually," Artemis piped in. "One of their retirees found one earlier that day and another was reported in China Town. Bats I think is the only one who disarmed one on his own. The last two exploded out of harms reach."

"You sure know a lot for someone who wasn't there," the older archer stated sorely.

"I read the reports," she stated again, annoyance in every fiber of her being. After talking to the others for a few minutes, she understood why she was left out of it all. Her hands were still healing and her phone was off most of Sunday. In the end, it was her own fault for not participating. Hers and Wally's. He was the one who started the whole fiasco.

Seeing her point, Roy chose to move on. He thumbed over to the rest of the team. "So what's going on with those three then?"

Kaldur gave a long exasperated sigh. "Conner snuck out of the mountain without telling anyone. M'gann is not pleased about this. They have been fighting like this since they came home."

"And Wally's scared about what Batman's gonna do to them," the blond finished.

"Really." He looked over to Wally, a smirk growing on his face. "Can I watch?"

"Roy…" the Atlantian objected tiredly. Though he had the most rest out of anyone, mentally the guy was exhausted. His friends weren't helping.

"Hey I can't do anything when it comes to relationships," Roy countered. "The aliens are on their own. But it'll be fun watching him squirm in front of Bats. Shall we?"

Kaldur took another deep breath in response, giving his grinning friend an exasperated look. Artemis grinned impishly. "Why do you think I'm still here? I've got homework to get to."

'_BOYS!_'

Everyone jerked at the sudden mental shout running through their heads. M'gann threw up her arms in frustration, storming out of the room to find a way to cool down. Conner stared after her, completely at a loss as to what he should do. He turned to look at the other men in the room, a pleading look on his face. Kaldur shrugged while Wally looked away. Roy just gave an awkward smirk.

"Wait five minutes then go after her," Artemis ordered, looking away. Boys.

The clone nodded, then started to pace nervously. Their reunion was going to be interesting to watch.

Unfortunately for the alien couple, Batman's voice brought them back together. M'gann was still angry at her boyfriend when the intercom blared ordering everyone back to the central room. His cowled face appeared on one of the holoscreens, as stoic as ever.

"Joker is still at large in Gotham City. Since the four of you were so animate about helping last night," a touch of displeasure entered his voice, making some of them flinch, "it's your responsibility to find him. You'll be in groups of two, checking out likely areas he would use as a hideout. Also keep your eye open for Scarecrow. Do not engage either of them. Keep in constant radio contact and report any possible findings."

"Anything you want us to do?" Roy stepped forward, trying his luck. Artemis also took a couple steps up. Neither archer had been requested for this mission, but both were antsy for a fight. Sportsmaster and Cheshire had escaped him earlier. He wanted to succeed somewhere. Plus it wasn't every day the dark knight invited other vigilantes into his city.

The Bat eyed the archers for a moment in thought. "Are you certain you want to join the team this time?"

"Hey, if it's just recognizance, it's better to have more experienced people around." The archer smirked slightly. Look for but don't fight Joker. He could follow that. Then he thumbed over to Artemis. "And until Blondie here's hands are healed, this is about all she's good for."

His comment earned him a swift kick in the shins. Both archers glared at each other for a moment before Batman spoke again. "Alright. Teams of two. And I want you four back home before one. Your teacher called in after you fell asleep in class M'gann."

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><p>They were split up, and not in a way most people would have liked. Kaldur and Conner searched the Northern Island, Roy and Megan the Southern, and Artemis endured Wally on the middle one. Batman said he'd be around, chasing any clues he found and taking the rest of Gotham County, but everyone was certain he picked these groupings to keep everyone on edge. Keeping the alien couple apart was probably for the best, but Artemis wished she wasn't the only one reasonably available to baby-sit Wally.<p>

Just because he was good friends with Kaldur and Roy, plus flirted endlessly with M'gann (whom he still thought was available, the fool) didn't mean it had to be her who was stuck with him. Conner would have worked. But then again the report did say the two had run off to Gotham first. AUGH! There really wasn't anyone else available for this.

"I say we go to the Coventry first," Wally stated quickly, looking over his map again and again. "Haven't checked that place out yet."

"Nuh-uh. East Side."

He glared at her spitefully. "Who died and made you boss?"

"Remember what Batman said?" A smug smile grew on Artemis' face. "Kal, Roy and I are in charge. I say East Side. It's pretty rough at night so the earlier we look, the safer it'll be. Come on."

She grabbed his wrist and pulled, hard. Her hand ached from doing so, but she had lots of reasons for going from east to west, most of it being the company. The west part of this island was better to be in at night. And if they were really looking for a couple of psychotics, it was better to be safe than sorry. This was Gotham after all.

Wally grudgingly followed, mentally coming up with insults left and right. He spent most of his time on the East Side. It was likely someone would remember 'Easton'. At least it wasn't likely he'd see Jason around there and get asked a million questions by the kid. Last thing he wanted to talk about was why he was back in Gotham with a girl.

* * *

><p>AN: So this is kinda a filler, but it does cover quite a few things. Wally's in the clear with his uncle, M'gann is still mad at Conner, and Roy took care of the adventure Rob and Zee had in the other world. Looks like there will be some spitfire here, but not a lot. I kinda want to speed things up here, at last. Hence why I post when I haven't finished tuesday in this world yet. Just as a future reference, I'm bringing in Catwoman. Just hoping I do her justice.

Now as a few of you know, I've got a poll on my profile. I'm asking you all if I should just finish 'Without Me' before getting to the converging point here, or just keep going on like I have. I have made readers wait a long time for the final chapters of that one, much longer than intended. Sorry for that. So please answer the poll. I'm still gonna finish this one (monday's all written out and I know what's gonna happen next) but the last two chapters kinda spoil this one a bit. Just some FYIs.

As for my rant on invasion: YAY! TIM! and it looks like Jason existed there too! less than three less than three! =p can't wait to see how the brothers interact. X3 wonder how old Timmy is and if I got his age right here. =/ oh well.


	21. Ch 21 Mars and Venus

**Disclaimer:** Ownership? me? Dare I think it? oh what a dream that would be! Well, it'll remain a dream because I own nothing. Having the real Tim Drake though would be nice. =P

Okays peoples, remember that poll I told you about last time? Well I'm keeping it up until it's run 7 days total. After that, if the polls stay the same, I'm updating/finishing 'Without me'. Still working on this one. half way through Tuesday in fact. This one's kinda filler, but I wanted a Catwoman scene. Plus gotta work out some more of Conner and M'gann's problems. Well, enjoy!

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><p><em><strong>Where's Robin?<strong>_

**Ch. 21 – Mars and Venus**

It was just after midnight when Batman told the team to leave. That day was a bust. During the whole adventure, the majority of them only became footsore. Roy got the somewhat silent treatment from Megan while in the Fashion District while Kaldur's ear was nearly talked off with Conner's questions on how to fix things with his girlfriend. Out of the three pairings, only Artemis and Wally could say they could focus on the mission over their feelings.

Well, Artemis reminded him several times how he was responsible for all of this, what with Robin, his best friend, being missing and all.

Occasionally overhearing them on the communicator, Batman suppressed the urge to tell them all to shut up and go home earlier. Maybe he'd get more work done if they weren't there. But they had to be taught a lesson. Each pair ran across no less than a dozen crimes in action during their visit, many of them violent.

The three former sidekicks had to suppress their surprise at the daring these criminals had, despite having heard all the stories before and running about the previous nights. The aliens were just as surprised, but just like the others trudged on, despite misgivings. Artemis was the only one not phased in the slightest. She just went straight to work.

Sending them home though was all he could do. They covered probably half the city with no results. Joker hadn't been seen since the party and Scarecrow was still laying low. Whatever their next moves were, it wasn't going to be for a while. And Batman had other cases to work on.

At one a.m. he crouched next to a gargoyle, watching an apartment silently. Inside was a suspected psychiatrist who may have had something to do with Joker's escape. Harleen Quinzel had more sessions with Joker than any other doctor in Arkham, and kept claiming he was making progress. If that guy really believed Batman and Wonder Woman were dating, plus would give him 'ambrosia cake', particularly when he didn't put it out as a ransom demand over a childish command, he wasn't anywhere near sanity. What had compelled this young woman to even consider Joker becoming sane in the first place?

If the woman wasn't still awake, he'd have searched her apartment by now. But Harleen was a night owl among other things. Addicted to slapstick cartoons was another. And red bull. He saw her down five cans already. And the League said he ran off caffeine.

Batman might have stayed there all night if he had to if a silent alarm hadn't gone off at the museum. He had his cowl wired to pick certain alarms up, particularly ones related to certain criminals. Annoyed, he stood from his perch and shot off a line away from there before even considering looking at what display had been disturbed.

He blinked when he first read it, thinking he read it wrong due to the motion. The second time around his eyes narrowed in frustration. He wasn't quite sure if he could deal with this one tonight. Well, it was time to find out.

Within fifteen minutes he landed on top of the museum roof. As he reached his full height again to start his prowl, he spotted the thief in question. And a picnic basket she held in one hand with the emerald cat in the other. Instantly he knew what she was planning and gave a frustrated sigh.

"What's the deal Selina? I thought you'd be half way to Metropolis with that statue."

Catwoman shrugged coyly. "Just wanted your attention. I'll return it," she purred, getting closer to him, "but only after a late night snack. Or we could just have some dessert."

On most nights Batman would have secretly enjoyed the cat and mouse game the two of them played, sometimes ending with kisses and other times ending with new scars. But this wasn't one of those nights. Instead of playing her game, he firmly grasped her arms and pushed her away. "Not tonight. Just hand me the statue and go home. I have too much on my plate this time."

"Oh come now," she pouted, trying to snuggle closer to him. "Too much on your plate? From what I've heard Joker's gone to ground somewhere and all the other missing Arkham nuts are laying low. The mob bosses called a truce not too long ago and those other small timers, they hardly make a peep these days. I could give you details on how everyone's being quiet right now, but I'm more interested in having some… adult time."

"Then watch the news," he retorted coldly. It didn't have the edge he'd use on most people, but the lack of emotion unnerved the cat before him. "I have work to do."

One hand reached towards the statue as the woman blinked before him in shock. It didn't last long though. Catwoman jerked away, surprised by this man's actions.

"What's wrong with you? Joker's been out before and you've still played with me. Same with Penguin, Scarecrow, Killer Crock, even Two-Face! I'm just asking you to dinner on a moonlit night, not anything long term or serious."

"There's nothing wrong with me," Batman insisted.

"Like hell there isn't." Confusion raged on her face. Never had she seen him so distant. Sure he seemed hard to approach by most people, but this was different. She could tell something was wrong.

"I just don't want this tonight," he tried again. "I have other things I need to do."

"It's past the little bird's bedtime and I know he puts himself to bed these days," she reminded him. The man twitched slightly as she spoke. "And that's the only thing I can think of that would overrule me short of a murder spree, gang war or…"

She stopped, noticing at last what was really wrong. Robin was seen less often around Gotham ever since last Independence Day, but the kid had told her in passing that he was hanging out with his friends. She guessed it was the other kids of the crime fighting community he was referring to, and she was glad. That meant more adult time for her and his mentor. But the kid hadn't appeared during the Joker fiasco the other night. Nor had she seen him since last week.

"Oh my God… Robin. Is he—"

"He's alive." Batman tried to sound self assured, but Selina could always tell what really played in his voice. There was more to it.

"But…"

The dark knight slowly closed his eyes before continuing, reluctantly. Why it was so hard for him to just think of Selina as another criminal was harder for him to understand than anything. At times, she had him wrapped around her finger. His overwhelming feelings compelled him to speak. "He's currently far away. The culprit punished himself more than I could and I have to wait on others to get him back home."

Silence stood with them as the Cat thought this over. She knew Batman cared very much for Robin. Probably more for him than her. Maybe even more than Gotham. Having the kid around made the man more bearable, even made him endearing to her. It was harder before the kid's debut to get the guy to play their game. But with the boy around, Bats became playful. As if having a kid made him more human.

Sure the kid got on her nerves once in a while, but she didn't hate him. She was sure, despite his childish objections he made around her, that he didn't hate her either. There were a few times he caught her alone on patrol where they didn't argue and he honestly started talking to her like she was his aunt or something. Really, she didn't know where she stood with the kid at times. But she never wanted him to go away, not like this at least.

No wonder Batman had no energy to play tonight. Now she didn't either.

She put the basket down before placing her hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I know how you… especially when it comes to him. Where exactly is he? What—"

"Classified."

And there the stone wall grew again. Catwoman took a deep breath before nodding. If she pressed too much, those walls may never come down. Though she loved the mystery between them, she knew enough about him to know when she could wheedle something out of him and when she couldn't. This was one time she couldn't. Almost anything deeply personal, especially with Robin, was off limits. Where ever the kid was, she couldn't do anything about it, nor help him with it.

"I see." She slowly withdrew her hand, looking at the ground. Well this ruined her evening plans. Slowly she bent down to grab her basket, placing the statue on the roof. "Well then, I guess we'll have to play another night. Sorry for distracting you."

The cat burglar slid close to him, leaving a small peck on the cheek before slipping away. Batman's arms lifted a fraction towards her but he did nothing to hinder her escape. She hadn't stolen anything this time, and she was no killer. Maybe that was one of the reasons he preferred her company to many other women he was attracted to in the past. The fact she reveled in the dark like he did probably helped too.

Before he could call her back or run a hand over his cowl in frustration, she looked back to him. "I'll keep an ear out for your crazies. Might even get lucky. Until then, take a shower. You smell like a dog."

Then she was gone, jumping off the rooftop and far out of sight. Batman gave an exasperated sigh, then picked the statue up to put it where it belonged. He shook his head, smirking slightly at her attempt to break his brooding mood. It helped, a little.

* * *

><p>Conner looked after his girlfriend again, trying every so often to get her to talk to him. It wasn't working. Megan was giving him the silent treatment, which was the most confusing thing in the world. If she was angry at him and wanted him to do something to make up for it, why didn't she just tell him what to do? Why did she have to pretend he didn't exist? Seemed horribly counter productive. He knew she was angry at him, but could she just tell him what to do to fix things? How many times did he have to say sorry before she actually forgave him?<p>

His ever growing distress was picked up by nearly everyone around him. Malcom even became concerned about him. "Hey man, what's wrong?"

Conner debated for a moment whether he should tell him or just try to figure it out on his own. So far that wasn't working. "Megan and I had a fight," he started, "and now she won't talk to me."

"Ah." The older teen nodded knowingly, looking away at the dreaded thought. Most guys didn't want to talk about their girl problems unless they no longer liked the girl. They were clearly in the category of still liking their girlfriends, so bad mouthing them wasn't going to happen. "So… what caused it?"

The clone shrugged guiltily. "Went somewhere without telling her. I was trying to help out… a friend's dad and I thought she'd understand. She went after me and… apparently she didn't like what I was doing."

He looked towards his girlfriend a moment more. "I just don't get it. It wasn't anything bad, really, but she's super ticked off about it."

"Huh…" Mal looked back to the girl in question, who clearly ignored their presences at all. "Sounds like she's overreacting to me. Who's she to tell you where to go or for her to know where you are at all times? She's not your mom."

This made the clone smirk. "True, but it doesn't help the fact that she's mad at me." He gripped his head in frustration. "Not like I shot my best friend into another dimension."

"Say what?" The quarterback raised an eyebrow.

Realizing what he just said he tried to brush it off. "It's nothing. So any ideas? I can't stand it when she won't talk to me."

Not entirely sure if he should give advice, Malcom shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. As far as I can tell, girls are from completely different planets. You know what they say. Boys are from Mars and Girls are from Venus."

Hearing this, Conner couldn't help but to crack up. The humor of the phrase was completely lost on his friend there, but it didn't matter. He didn't know Megan was the one from Mars.

* * *

><p>AN: Men are from mars, women are from venus, and i think it's a proven fact we just don't understand each other completely. Obviously I'm a Bat/Cat shipper, but really, out of all the other cannon options, she's the funnest and best for him i think.

Well, back to typing. Still trying to take down two baddies before Rob gets home. TTFN!


	22. Ch 22 Girl's Suspicions

**Disclaimer:**Me no own DC characters. DC comics do. Simple?

Posting this now is more proof that I'm continuing what I've started than because it's really ready for an update. Plus I'm having trouble with the next part. =P So, again thanks to everyone who's read 'Without Me' and are continuing to read this one.

In other news, I have a new poll up. it's for when I finish writing/posting this and another great story. Enjoy!

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><p><em><strong>Where's Robin?<strong>_

**Ch. 22 – Girl's Suspicions**

Barbara Gordon tried her phone one more time. And just like the other forty-seven times she tried calling Dick, the recording played its little tune for her. The number you are currently dialing is disconnected. Please hang up and try again.

Frustrated she forced her cheep phone closed. Not picking up was one thing. Being completely disconnected was another. At the very least she should be allowed to leave a message to haunt the little brat. How dare he ignore her calls and emails! She didn't care how sick the guy was, he had no excuse for not returning her messages.

Finally fed up with the nice approach, Barbara had made her way to Wayne Manor to visit the sick circus kid, ignoring all the security features. Dick had shown her how to dodge them all not too long ago, just to prove it was possible. They made a game of it, and it was lots of fun. With the snow around the grounds, she had to admit it was more difficult, but still worth the trouble if she shocked the great butler Alfred enough so she could slip past him.

She rang the doorbell incessantly, knowing she was waking up everyone who was napping at four in the afternoon. The girl could almost swear she heard British curses through the door, making her both proud and guilty for a moment. She may like Alfred, but he typically sided with Mr. Wayne when it came to rules and Dick. So to see her friend, she had to get past him.

As soon as the door opened she shoved her way inside. "Hi Alfred. Sorry for waking you, but I gotta see Dick. We've got a project due next Monday and he hasn't returned my calls. Don't worry about me, just go drink your tea."

"Miss Gordon!" The girl was nearly to the stairs when the butler finally managed to grab her arm to stop her. "I must insist you leave Master Richard alone."

"Not until he gets off his sorry hide and does his part of the project. He can do that in bed, I've seen him at it before."

"I'm afraid he's horribly sick," the old man insisted. "He can hardly lift himself from his bed."

Barbara gave him a shrewd glare. "No one's that sick and still at home."

"Doctor Leslie Thompkins is with him," he retorted. "And if you must know, he hardly slept last night. Master Bruce has only left his side to handle a few meetings and hasn't slept these past two days in an attempt to help him heal. I fear he too will soon fall ill, and so will you if see him."

She blinked in surprise, second guessing her actions now, her anger ebbing. "Is he really that bad?"

"Indeed he is." Alfred gave a long sigh. "You would not believe how many times I have changed the sheets these past three days. And I dare say his carpet will need to be replaced when he has recovered."

That was more information than Barbara ever needed. If Dick was really that bad, there would be no way he could answer the phone or check his laptop for emails. And that meant he wouldn't be able to finish the project in time. She was so screwed.

Slowly she eased off the steps, ready to leave at the man's request. "Sorry, I had no idea. The people at school said he was sick. They never said how bad."

"Your concern in admirable," the butler stated, some relief coming to his stance. He stepped a little closer to guide her back out of the manor. "I will be certain to tell Master Richard of your visit."

"Do you know what it is?" The girl stepped in stride with the gentleman, glancing once towards where Dick's room was. Just how bad was he?

"At first we though it was a cold," the old man explained, "then the flu. Tests are still being done but for all we know its pneumonia."

"Or just a really bad cold," she stated hopefully. "I had one that kept me in bed for three days, and the fever kept coming back. Course would have gone away sooner if I took something the first day."

Alfred smiled kindly, seeing a likeness between her and his employers. Stubborn folk, the whole lot of them. Before they knew it, they were back at the main entryway to the house. "One can only hope he recovers quickly. Then everyone can have some rest."

"Are you sure I can't see him," Barbara whined. Sure she had a school project to do with him, but Dick's been her friend for years. She'd never forget the first time they met. He was just a tearful kid then at the police station, just wanting to go back home. That kid really went through hell. "I bet he'd love to see a friendly face."

"As much as it pains me to say so, we really can't afford anyone else becoming ill because of him. You know how he is. He'll kick up a storm if he thinks someone else's misfortune is because of him."

Relenting, she nodded. Yeah, sounded like Dick alright. Alfred let her out of the manor, telling her the way down the path to not upset the security grid. Really, Bruce Wayne was super paranoid with all the security he had going on. She was half way down the path when she realized something.

Dick being sick wouldn't turn his phone off.

Barbara stopped mid step, then looked back to the manor. Each of her calls earlier resulted in a disconnected phone response. Either his phone number was changed or it was completely dead. Dick wasn't the kind to change his number without telling her, and he didn't let his phone die. Her eyes narrowed. Something wasn't right.

Quickly she leapt off the path and towards the tree line. Using all her gymnastic skills she acquired from classes, clubs, and just hanging out with Dick, she maneuvered through the greenery to where she knew her friend's window would be. Dick told her once that the balcony was wired, so it was best to never touch it. Resolved, Barbara climbed to the nearest branch to his room and peeked in.

All she saw was a very tidy, empty bed with a satchel on top, ready to go at a moment's notice. She could see her school's uniform, perfectly pressed, waiting to be used and laying on the high back chair near by. There were signs of activity from what she saw, but it was consistent with a large person occasionally sitting on the edge of the bed. None of it looked like a kid in a sick room.

This amateur detective's eyes narrowed in thought. For a long time she thought something was weird about Dick and Bruce, but she never thought they'd lie to cover something like this up. Either Dick ran off (not unheard of but unlikely) or was kidnapped. Either way he wasn't home, and Mr. Wayne wanted to keep that a secret.

"Up all night, probably out looking for him," she muttered under her breath. Concern filled her chest. One of her best friends was probably MIA, and all she could think about was a stupid school project. As she made her way back towards the path she was supposed to take to leave, she thought over the possibilities again.

Her dad and Wayne were friends, good friends. And considering the guy's protective nature, he told Dad every time Dick was taken. She hadn't heard a thing about it at home, nor at school. So Dick being kidnapped was looking less and less likely. Running off wasn't like him either. He was fine Thursday, laughing his head off as always. So why the sudden vanishing act?

For a moment she debated confronting Alfred or even Bruce about this. She had her suspicions, about everything. Dick's scars, bruises, injuries and sudden disappearances, plus his exhaustion at school or occasional higher educational slip of the tongue. Plus there was his laugh, that cackle of his. If by a long shot she was right, then something else must have happened to her friend.

"He's 'sick'," she repeated, thinking out loud in hopes to interpret the code. "So he's going to 'recover'. He better. Or I'll find him and make him better."

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><p>"I just don't get it Kal," Conner rambled on as they walked. It was their second day of searching, going over each of their designated islands again. Batman insisted they look everywhere, and in a different order than before. Same groupings, much to one pair's chagrin. And soon to be two if the clone's rambling didn't end soon.<p>

"I know all this stuff about females from the g-nomorphs at Cadmus, but this wasn't covered. They never said they wanted to know where their friends were every hour of the day. Or that they'd be mad at you for making a choice without telling them. Or that saying sorry wasn't good enough. Or that your brain gets muddled every time you try to explain things to them. Or how you always say the wrong things despite them sounding so good in your head. Or that they can read you like a book no matter what you do. Or—"

"I do believe I am the wrong person to be debating love lives with Conner." Kaldur found the incessant chatter from the clone quite aggravating. He hadn't even apologized to anyone else for running off the other day. Frankly, the Atlantian didn't understand why Batman had them come back to Gotham after the other night. It was a fiasco. Each bomb they found detonated. They only managed to eliminate casualties. Kingston Square would probably never be the same. And yet here they were again, for the third evening in a row.

"But you're the only one I know of who's had a relationship." The pleading look in his eyes could have turned most people hearts to favor him. But not this time. Kaldur was rather good at hiding his emotions when he wanted to. And even he was still upset about those two running off.

"I think it has more about what you did than how she feels." The young leader turned to him. "Either way, you have to do more than just apologize. You must promise to never run off like that again, and keep that promise"

"But…" Conner looked away. Already the older teen could tell he wasn't really sorry about skipping out. "It turned out alright, didn't it?"

Kaldur took a deep breath. This was going to take forever to explain. "Conner, you disappeared without telling anyone. For all we knew, Cadmus may have taken you back, or worse. We had to guess where you went of your own accord, and if it were not for Wally's ramblings Saturday, we would never had known. You left your comlink. You scared us both near to death, M'gann more so than I."

This made the clone step back a moment in surprise. Clearly he didn't think of it this way. "You… you two were… you were scared? About me?"

"For you. It is what friends do." The Atlantian could sense it was finally seeping through to him. "We worried you would be injured or kidnapped or even brainwashed. Things have happened before, and neither of us would want you taken away. It was simply you disappearing that scared her. And when people are scared, they sometimes turn angry. I have learned girls become both angry and scared at the same time when someone they care about is involved. And this is, I believe, why M'gann is upset. It was not you coming to Gotham in an attempt to help Batman, but doing so without telling her or consulting her first.

"And," he continued, looking the clone fully in the eye, "you have yet to apologize, truly apologize, for your actions. Once you have, then you can make it up to her."

"But she won't even talk to me now," Conner insisted. It was clear to him now what he did wrong and he now felt bad about it. "How do I get her to just talk to me?"

Kaldur gave a long sigh. "That I do not know. Women are mysterious creatures."

"Hmmm…" The kryptonian looked down in thought, finally silent. His partner took that opportunity to look around themselves once again. The sun would be setting shortly, so it may be in their best interest to call in. The previous night taught them how the darkness there worsened the people of Gotham. It wasn't until he heard Conner's voice again that he realized he wasn't anywhere near him.

"Hey kid," he started as he approached a little girl in a purple hood. She innocently looked up to him, blinking. "How do I get a girl who's mad at me to start talking to me again?"

"Conner…" Horror filled Kaldur's features. Though he wasn't a native to the surface world or their customs he was aware that it was creepy for a strange boy to come up to a girl like this.

The girl though only giggled at him. "Give her something she likes! Make a message out of it or something. My neighbor's boyfriend gave her a heart-attack with chocolates and everything to apologize to her."

"Is that all?" he asked, cocking his head to the side in curiosity.

"Stephanie!"

A haggard nurse who had to be her mother darted forward protectively, glaring at the clone. The girl just giggled some more as Conner blinked in surprise. Kaldur barely managed to grab his arm and drag him away before the woman reach her child, chiding her for talking to a complete stranger.

"What?" Conner asked his leader as they quickly jogged away. "What did I do wrong?"

The Atlantian gave another exasperated sigh. Was this guy really so innocent?

An hour or so later, Kaldur finally managed to get the clone to realize how bad it was to walk up to a random child and start asking questions, especially in strange neighborhoods. Really, the boy had plenty of knowledge in his head, but no cultural wisdom. Small things like 'stranger danger' or knowing how to please your girlfriend were still foreign to him. He was beginning to wonder if Superman behaved like this as well.

Getting closer to the Hill, he opted to take a break and grab something to eat. Batman had given them prepaid credit cards to use for expenses, primarily food. The two of them hardly used it, but right then it was becoming necessary. As they bit into the subs, Conner looked around in idle curiosity. All around him were broken down houses and in the distance he could see both a cemetery and a hospital. Really nothing much there. Course most people tried to ignore everyone else's existence but that was nothing new. As soon as the lights were low, everyone around Gotham seemed to do that.

Then something caught his eye, something just a little odd.

"Is something wrong my friend?" Kaldur asked after the clone froze for a few minutes longer than expected.

He shrugged. "Maybe. Aren't there two major crazies running around?"

The Atlantian nodded. "Yes. Joker and Scarecrow. Why?"

"I think I just saw one of them. The other one." He thumbed over towards an abandoned building just a little further down the road. It looked like an old laboratory. "Some really skinny guy in rags just went in there with a big paper bag. Looked heavy."

At his worlds, Kaldur's eyes widened. He wrapped up the remains of his sandwich and strode forward. "Come. We will see if it's really him, then call Batman."

"Sounds like a plan."

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><p>AN: Honestly I've been having trouble getting through the Scarecrow case. I know what I want to happen, just getting it done is difficult.

And I wasn't sure where to put Barbara's scene. Either the end of last chapter or the beginning of this, either way in the timeline it happened. Yes I know Babs is batgirl in season 2, but here she isn't yet. So I'm making her getting ready to become her. =P

As for Conner, I think we're making some headway in his and M'gann's relationship. Now he knows what he did wrong, and why someone would be angry. Even got some advice from Stephanie (yes, that's her cameo. Don't rub it in). So now he's gotta act on it. But life isn't that simple. Scarecrow and Joker are more likely to get put back in Arkham before they get things fixed.


	23. Ch 23 Dust and Fumes

I LIVE! okay, I'm really working towards finishing this so I finally got this chapter done. since it's been a year or more since the last update (SORRY!) I wanted to put out the next chapter as fast as I could. Where have I been? Working on a lot of other projects. Many are done. Anywho, I think I got a feel again for what I was planning here so I'm back to work. Can't guarantee regular updates with this guy because of how much I felt like i was pulling teeth here, but it's not completely forgotten. Again, sorry for the epically long wait.

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><p><strong>Ch. 23 – Dust and Fumes<strong>

As is typically the case, things did not go as planned. Though they tried to be as stealthy, they couldn't escape the debris around the old building. Superboy slipped on several loose pieces of shale, falling head long into Aqualad. They made a loud enough noise to not only alert the criminal they were tracking, but every animal within fifty yards of them.

Scarecrow seemed less than pleased by their arrival.

"Someone is trying to be sneaky," he taunted, coming towards their location. "Trying to be brave. Don't you know fear when you see it?"

Kaldur tapped his communicator, casting Conner a quick glare before getting himself ready to fight. "Aqualad to Batman. We have located the Scarecrow. Position compromised. Your instructions?"

"Keep him in sight," Batman ordered. "Don't breathe anything, and keep your heads down. We'll zero in on you position shortly."

"Acknowledged." He let go of his com, looking about to where they last spotted the madman. He had moved out of their sight, already making their job harder than it was. He looked to Conner and ordered a quick strategy to correct this. "Cover the back exit. We need to keep him contained but do not engage. Avoid any contact with foreign substances."

"How hard can the shrimp be?" Despite his skepticism, the clone used his speed to get towards the back of the building to block off any escape. Kal placed himself at the front, glad the old abandoned laboratory only had two access points. The bad part was all the leftover equipment around the room making it difficult to navigate through it all without running into something. The place was a virtual maze of clutter and debris. If it came down to a fight, the field would be against them.

He really hoped Scarecrow was not as much trouble as the typical Arkham inmate. Robin better have been exaggerating about them.

"Tick tock, goes the clock, and what now shall we play? Tick tock, goes the clock, now that summer's gone away." The eerie poem filled the air, breaking the chilling silence and bringing dread with every word. Worst part was, it was getting closer, and yet he couldn't find the source. "Tick tock, goes the clock, and what then shall we see? Tick tock, until the day, that thou shalt now fear me."

He could hear footsteps coming towards him after a moment, causing him to strain his senses. He had to get the drop on this madman before he started a panic. If even a portion of Robin's tales were true... Slowly he crept forward, keeping the door in reach so he could block it again if the Scarecrow appeared.

"Tick tock, goes the clock, and all the years they fly." The voice nearly chilled his blood as it came closer, surrounding him. "Tick tock and all too soon..." Something clicked above him. "All of you will die!"

At the last word, light bulbs crashed down around him, sending a thick powdery substance into the air. As per Batman's instructions, Kaldur held his breath and tried to clear the area before taking any air in. The strange chemical had blinded him though, making it impossible for him to tell where he was going. Blindly he crashed into a table then a trashcan before being shoved into a pillar by a passing form. Without his willing he took in a deep breath, catching a whiff of acetone before stopping himself. He blundered away to the outside, coughing as soon as he could to get rid of the horrid flavor in his mouth. Only slightly dizzy, he managed to see a thin figure run away from him merrily.

"Superboy! He is escaping!"

"On it!" Somehow the boy of steel was closer to him than he imagined, zooming after the lunatic within seconds. Kal was still trying to catch his breath, summoning water with his barriers to smother the vapors inside as he did so. Couldn't let the dust or gas escape the building and hurt others. It was a miracle he wasn't hallucinating right then. Didn't Robin say Scarecrow's gas was fast acting?

He was still coughing even after the dust was settled and someone else was next to him. "KAL! You alright buddy?"

"I -_cough_- I will survive." He looked around after a moment, searching for a face. "Superboy went after Scarecrow. _cough_ He -_cough_- has a new aerosol powder inside -_cough_- light bulbs. There may be a sample -_cough_- inside. Had to wet it -_cough_- down."

"Yikes that's rough." Wally looked around for a moment next to him to make sure no one else was nearby. No one would be. The whole block was condemned. "Why would he be out here... Wait... Did you breathe any of that stuff in?"

Alarm grew on the speedster's face while Kaldur cast him an annoyed glare. "Your powers of observation are unnerving. _cough cough_"

"He got away." Conner reappeared next to them, highly annoyed. "Stick man slid through a crack and practically vanished."

"Ah crap..." Wally summed it up in a nutshell. "Bats is gonna kill us."

"Why did you -_cough_- let him get -_cough_- away?!" Annoyance was growing to anger in the elder teen.

"I didn't let him-"

"You have thermal vision! You could have-" A severe coughing fit over took him, causing both of his friends great concern. In the middle of it, he doubled over, grasping his knees desperately for support. Blindly he shoved the two near him away while he struggled to regain his breath. Midst their questions, he couldn't help but grow angrier. Of course he wasn't okay. He was a fish out of water! If it weren't for his Atlantian physiology, he'd be screaming about some night terror.

Once he could breathe, he glared up at the clone. "You should not have lost him."

"Okay, I'm sorry," Conner insisted, being truly apologetic. "Let me get you back to the cave so they can-"

"I am fine." To prove his point, Kaldur straightened himself to his full height and gave his teammates a firm glare. "We should spread out and locate him before -_cough_- Batman arrives."

"But you're-"

"NOW!" Hearing their leader snap made the two others worried, but he didn't care. Right then they had a mission and he was not going to fail it. Not waiting for them, the Atlantian charged forward, searching for a lead on the villain's movements. There was still time to find him. There had to be!

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><p>Batman tried to cool his emotions while he knelt over the remains of the lab Crane was using until that evening. Kaldur's failure to perform his instructions was frustrating, but not entirely unexpected. He was being stretched thin as a leader and even more as a friend by current events. Scarecrow could also be deceiving, making others believe he was easy when he wasn't. He couldn't count how many times they thought they had the man and was then doused with fear toxin. They should be so lucky the Atlantian wasn't affected by it. Conner wouldn't be due to his Kryptionian DNA being resilient against toxins, but even Aquaman had trouble with certain substances.<p>

Then again, he wasn't sure this was fear toxin. The residue of the concoction Crane made was being dissolved by the water, but it could still be active in that form. It was touch and go with this rogue. Sometimes he used water as a medium, sometimes it was gas. Once in a while it was a powder. Those were especially unpredictable. Being absorbed through the skin, it was harder to contain and more potent when snorted or injected. It could also be easily be disguised as crack or be used to cut it. It was by far the most dangerous form Scarecrow could use, and the easiest to transport. He'd have to debrief Aqualad later.

"Need any help?" Wally's voice was a mite annoying right then, but at least it wasn't someone who didn't know about crime scenes and laboratories. He was still in the doorway, waiting for an answer.

"Shouldn't you be finding a lead on Scarecrow?"

He could hear the teen shrug. "I'm pretty sure Kal and Con have scared him off. And that guy knows the area. We won't find him. Figured I'd be a better help here."

"Get in the back room and catalogue chemicals." He could be useful back there, if he applied himself he reasoned. "Record amounts, don't touch anything."

"On it." And he was gone. Good. Without the chatty teen he could think. Looking around once again, he calculated what happened there. Aqualad and Superboy were separated in order to corner Scarecrow. Crane used his superior intellect (yes both boys were bright, but they were not geniuses and did not play mind games regularly) to confuse one of them, then distracted them with the chemical. He managed to escape while Kaldur was blinded and that was it. The young man used his powers to put down the chemical and stop it from spreading. Wise choice. Would have been better if it never happened but they were still learning stealth. Prevention of an outbreak and panic would do for now.

As he gathered samples, he could hear Artemis and Megan slipping in and taking a look around. Mentally sighing, he gave his orders. He really didn't need them there right then. "Gather up the others and return to the mountain. Artemis, head home."

"But-"

"It's a school night," the dark knight state as he finished gathering samples. Wally should be done with the list soon and then he'd be sent home as well. "Go home and get some rest. We'll continue tomorrow afternoon. Dismissed."

With a huff, the archer left, not even the slightest bit happy. Batman let it roll off him as he stood and turned toward the Martian, still in her human guise. "Why are you still standing there?"

She looked away awkwardly for a moment, then gave an angry pout. "I'm pretty sure we don't have to all come back to the cave right now. The boys aren't-"

"Tell them to get back to base immediately so they can zeta home," he reiterated. "The cave is a halfway point for a couple of them, and home for the rest." Carefully he put the samples he had in an evidence pouch and headed to the back room where the speedster was still working. "I'll debrief Aqualad as soon as I'm done here."

Megan nodded again, still pouting. "But I don't have to-"

"Your fight with Conner is a moot point right now." He cast her a chastising glare, scaring her slightly. "Put it aside and get to work. If you can't, stay out of Gotham."

Shocked into silence, the girl nodded and went her way. Giving a huff of frustration, he shook his head. Why were women so complicated? Teenaged ones seemed to run on irrational emotions while grown ones were rational, emotional, but rarely explained their reasoning. For a moment he thought of Catwoman and how he hardly had to say a word and she knew what had changed in his life. They truly were mysterious creatures, and no two were alike.

Careful not to disturb the scene further (Gordon and his men would be checking out the place later), he came to the back room where the supplies were kept and ventilated to call Wally away from it. Shouldn't he be done by now? He's helped his uncle in several cases before... As soon as Batman entered the room, he smelled something foul and whipped out a gasmask, covering his face. The room was not as ventilated as he thought it'd be. Not caring if he was disturbing anything now, he strode in and searched for the teen. Continual exposure would wreak havoc on his metabolism

It took thirty seconds, but the lad had been in the room already for at least ten minutes. He found Wally kneeling on the ground, hunched over and passed out, his face beet red and sweating. Not good signs, especially for speedsters. Without a second thought, the detective scooped up the teen and vacated the room as fast as he could. They fled the building before any more vapors could infect them, then settled the teen on the grass outside, stretching him out to help him fill his lungs with good air. The ginger was sweating bullets and moaning while Batman reached for his com.

"M'gann! Medical emergency. Call in your ship. Kid Flash needs immediate assistance."

"Wally?!" Roy's voice flew over the com. "What happened to him?!"

"She's on her way!" The Martian's voice stayed level, but he knew she was scared. They all were.

"Fumes."

"I thought his metabolism made it impossible for him to metabolize those properly," Conner stated over the link.

"Prolonged exposure," Batman explained, looking back into the building. He needed to know what was in there. "Metabolism only shortens the chemical's duration. Continual exposure will only make it worse."

"Ah cripes..." A peeved Roy could be heard running back to them. "Be there in five. Symptoms?"

"I'll meet you in-" Conner started only to get cut off.

"Scarecrow is still at large!" Kaldur hissed over the link. "We need to locate him and-"

"A teammate's life is more important than a criminal on the run who hasn't finished planning his next move." Batman's scowl deepened. Why were they even having this discussion? "Everyone regroup at my location. Miss Martian, bring the ship around but keep it cloaked. We're leaving."

"But Scarecrow-"

"That's an order!" he snapped back. How could he even think about the criminal when his friend was in danger?

"What's going on?!" Internally the man cursed as he heard Artemis' voice. Why had she turned her com back on? "Didn't someone say something about Wally?"

"Wally's-" Roy started but Batman cut him off.

"Artemis go home. You can't do anything here."

"But-"

"Full debrief tomorrow afternoon." He looked down on Wally's face and relaxed a little when he saw the color returning to the lad's face. "He's going to be alright, but we need to analyze what he's been exposed to. Everyone else to the bioship."

"Is he really going to be alright?" Conner's voice almost echoed in his ear, as the clone was only a few yards away as he said it. M'gann was close behind him in camouflage mode and he could see Roy closing in the distance. The man's eyes narrowed in thought as he confirmed his belief.

"Should be. Scarecrow's toxins are rarely lethal. It's what victims do that presents a danger."

"She's coming down now," the Martian informed them as the wind picked up around them. Fast ship.

Artemis sighed on the line, worried. "Alright. Tell me if something happens. Artemis out."

Batman nodded to himself, hoping this wouldn't turn into something larger than it was.

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><p>AN: Again, sorry it's taken this long. I get easily distracted when it comes to stories (you should see how many I have on my desktop). I am going to finish this... eventually. And All my other stories that I've started. So... here's hoping I don't take another year to get the next chapter out!

For those who've followed 'Without Me', I bet you can guess what's wrong with Kaldur. If not... You can read it again and figure it out. For readers wanting a lot of family fluff, I'd advise checking out my Daddy Not bats series. Much fun. Yeah, that's where I've been. . whoops. TTFN!


	24. Ch 24 Teenage Drama

*le gasp* Can it be? Another chapter so soon? YES! IT IS! Tell ya what. This is starting to get interesting again. No guarentees on regularness but I am working on this. I felt like pulling teeth for a bit because I just can't get a handle on this one character (still too boring for my tastes) but I love how the chapter ends. The chapter title makes sense later. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Ch. 24 - Teenage Drama<strong>

Barry Allen was not someone easily scared, but that night he was nearly petrified. Wally was ill and hurting. Iris was going to kill him. His in-laws were going to kill him. He was going to be dead twice over all because of some nut who didn't ventilate his lab very well. He would just give all of them Bat's address so they could kill him instead, but he knew he was an easier target.

Thankfully Batman went back to the place afterwards and got a record of all the chemicals so they knew where to start counteracting the vapors. The speedster metabolism burned through a few of them, but there were several he didn't recognize and had to be treated for. The plus side of dealing with a theme criminal though was the repeating chemicals used and how easy it was to get antitoxins for their concoctions. It took over half the night to get the cocktail right, and the rest to make certain it worked. By the time Conner and M'gann were headed to school, Wally was fine. Better than fine. He was eating them out of house and home.

"Slow down buddy!" Flash told the teen with a giggle. "We're running out of eggs."

"I'll stop eating eggs when the hash browns are ready." Wally never knew that fighting several different toxins could make him that hungry, but he was. Unbelievably so. He and his uncle were cooking and eating as fast as they could, but not everything out there could be cooked quickly and be edible. It was almost too sickening to watch.

"Wow... you two are just... wow..." Green Arrow shook his head as he watched them in sick fascination. "Hal wasn't kidding. You two are pigs."

"We're not pigs!" the teen objected loudly. "We're just hungry."

"I take it half your paycheck goes to groceries?" the millionaire inferred, looking at the older one.

"Two-thirds," Barry admitted, smiling at the potatoes he was almost done frying. Hopefully the starch inside these would get both of their stomachs to calm down. "The rest goes to the mortgage. My wife takes care of the rest of the bills, and savings."

"Your suit must be really easy to make then," Ollie concluded, smirking to himself as his friend pushed the dish onto two large plates. Everyone learned long ago to just let the speedster eat everything in one kitchen, and have a second kitchen for themselves. Norms just plain did not eat with them. Cooked sometimes but... "Say kid! Wanna try my famous chili later?"

"You bet!" Wally grinned from ear to ear at the idea. "Roy told me it was amazing!"

"And incredibly spicy." The archer in question slipped in right then, stretching out the kinks. He stayed in the mountain this time, but only to make sure his friends were alright. "You'll love it."

"Have to admit," Barry added as he remembered, "it was pretty dang good. One of these days I have to get the recipe."

"Not likely." Ollie grinned at his former partner. Roy rolled his eyes and headed to the coffee pot, ignoring them all. "Royboy here's been sworn to secrecy and I love a good secret. Family recipes are not meant to be shared."

"Yeah right." The older speedster dumped ketchup on his potatoes while Wally put on whorshishore sauce and mustard. "My mom put hundreds in local cookbooks. Spreading the word of food's goodness was a duty according to her."

"Well my mom-"

"Good, you are all here." They all jerked around to see a very serious Kaldur stalking into the room with a tablet under his arm. "There are matters I wish to discuss before we head out today for Gotham. To ensure we catch Scarecrow and Joker today."

Everyone there looked at him blankly for a moment before looking at each other. This was... unexpected. Wally pointed at him with his fork. "Um... Shouldn't we talk this over with Batman first? I mean it is his-"

"Quiet." The glare on the Atlantian's face took them all for a spin. They knew the guy ever since he joined Aquaman, and they never saw him so aggressive before. Roy frowned openly while Wally's jaw dropped. The adults were a bit more subtle in their surprise. "You should focus on resting, as that is all you have been able to do since Robin's misplacement."

"Is that what you're calling it now?" Oliver raised an eyebrow at him curiously. He hadn't been part of any of this fiasco until now, barely getting the details from Dinah and Roy the previous day. Since he couldn't do anything, he just stayed back and let the others handle things. "His misplacement?"

"Is there another way to see it?" Kaldur's annoyed glare fell on the older archer, gaining a scowl from Roy. Despite every issue they had, only a handful could insult his former guardian and get away with it. He set the pad on the counter between them all. "As for tonight, I suggest we start at the laboratory from last night and spiral outwards. Scarecrow would need a new lab, so focusing on abandoned facilities or those with lower security would be best."

"That's a given," GA murmured, not really looking at the plans. Both he and Flash were watching the young leader curiously, occasionally looking at Roy who seemed to see what they did. Something was off. They couldn't quite places it, but maybe watching the young man for a while would reveal what was bugging him. He wasn't acting like the Aqualad they knew.

* * *

><p>Megan rolled her shoulders tiredly as she made it back to the mountain alone. Conner said he had to run an errand before getting home so he didn't stay to watch her practice like usual. It was a bit disheartening that he didn't beg to be back with her all the time, but she convinced herself she didn't care. He had lied to her after all.<p>

Still it'd been nearly a week. Maybe it was time to try and talk to him again. How did Earth relationships handle things like this? She needed to do more research on the subject. Maybe watching _Dawson's Creek_ would give her ideas. She didn't feel much like socializing with the others anyway, not until it was time to head back to Gotham again. Wally was okay that morning after all, no need to see how he was doing. Probably back home anyway. Bypassing everyone and heading straight to her room seemed like a great plan.

Running a hand through her hair, M'gann dropped the human guise and tried to think of what to do next. She did have that series... right? Maybe, maybe not...

Her thoughts were interrupted when she spotted her bedroom door. It took all the Martian's strength not to burst out in relieved laughter. A large heart made entirely of Oreos was attached to her door, with a pan filled with the cookie sides not used earlier outlining the words 'I'm sorry' sitting as a doormat before it. She had never seen anything quite so sweet or tasty her entire life.

"Oh Conner..." she giggled, shaking her head endearingly. How she loved that boy. Still trying to contain herself, M'gann took out her phone and started taking snapshots. She'd have to show Artemis later. "You silly boy..."

"Does that mean you forgive me?" The girl snapped around as she heard her boyfriend's slightly timid voice. He really wanted her forgiveness for his reckless actions.

"Conner..."

"I didn't mean to upset you when I ran off," the clone explained earnestly. "I just couldn't stay still a moment longer. You know how I get into those kinds of moods... I just... I needed to do something. I should have talked to you about it before going. I'm sorry."

M'gann smiled sadly to herself. She had dragged this on too long. "No Conner... I'm the one who should be sorry. I overreacted. With Robin gone, I was just not able to let anyone go where I couldn't find them. I should have known better than try to keep you in the cave."

The sweet, innocent, disbelieving look Conner had on his face was so cute as she continued. "You were right to go to Gotham and see what you could do to help. I don't think Batman would have been able to handle the bombs without help. It felt good to have something to do. I wouldn't have stopped you, but I'm pretty sure I would have gone with you if you had told me what you were planning."

"You would have?" She nodded, gaining a smile from the lad. A considerable weight seemed to lift from his shoulders as she stepped closer to him.

"Yes Conner. I just didn't like being left in the dark." The Martian wrapped her arms around her boyfriend at last, looking lovingly in his eyes. "It makes me worry when I don't' know what's going on. It's not easy pulling the wool over a psychic's mind you know. And I promised not to read your mind unless it was necessary."

That gained a chuckle from Conner as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Next time I decide to run off and save the world, I'll tell you first."

"You better." They leaned into each other, lips brushing each other playfully. All was forgiven and there was quite a bit to catch up on. But just before they made contact, the kryptonian jerked his head down the hallway.

"What was that?"

"Conner?" Uneasiness started within her as his hands started to slide away. "What's wrong?"

"Someone's shouting in pain..." Their eyes connected, worry and dread growing. Determination grew between them and they nodded to each other with a unified thought: find out what's wrong and take care of it. They darted forward towards the main hall, primed to fight. "Come on!"

All too soon they came into view of the zeta tubes and the fight taking place before them. They could not believe their eyes. Flash and Kid Flash were on the ground unconscious. Red Tornado was sparking on the far side of the cave wall. Green and Red Arrow were nursing wounds and rearming themselves as Black Canary continued to go toe to toe with their clear attacker. The one causing the mayhem's eyes were bloodshot and foaming at the mouth. No sanity in sight.

"Kaldur?"

* * *

><p>AN: anyone see this coming? I hope you did. Instead of Bats getting sprayed by that time bomb berzerker toxin from _Without Me_, Kal did! He's been holding in a lot of his temper lately and it just exploded. Bats had the early stages while Kal's advanced further. Why? Because even though Aqualad is largely immune to toxins, he's never dealt with scarecrow before. Plus more exposure than what Bats got. Planning on the next chapter being called Fear Itself, but I can't guarantee that.

Anywho, one part of the plot is resolved! Conner and M'gann are back together again. Kon took Steph's advice and I thought it was cute. I've seen heart attacks and the like on cars, doors, and houses, and the fact that someone's thinking about me like this is something I'd cherish. That he personalized it to her interests makes it that much more special. So every guy out there, if you want to get a girl happy, do something like this. They'll love you for it. Too bad they didn't get their kiss, but I like to break up intimate scenes. *evil laugh*

As for me... *shrugs* on to the next chapter! Just need to remember everything Bats went through before getting Robin back so I don't mess up. Worried about screwing up dates and facts too. Nearly had Hal in this chapter. XP bad girl. TTFN!


	25. Ch 25 Fear Itself

I know I know, I owe everyone a huge apology for not getting another chapter out in like three months, but I was working on so many other projects that I kinda got buried, then had some drama, then got hit by a car. So, yes, I'm an idiot that has to apologize greatly for not doing more earlier. I am so sorry! Please keep reading. I will finish this and Fixing Damian. The good news is that I've learned from not putting out completed work and other than this and Fixing Damian, all my non-complete stories are either done on my compy or open ended one-shot series. Seriously, I have like twenty stories I've started on my compy that aren't finished and haven't been put out because I don't want anyone more mad at me. Again sorry. May want to reread everything before reading this. For new readers, reminder, look at the date that this was started, back in YJ's first season hayday. All the discrepancies are because of that. I call this world 16.23 because of all the wrong assumptions I made. Took the timeline off my profile though so there was less to look through there.

Anyway, please enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Ch. 25 - Fear Itself<strong>

Bruce Wayne had a full day. Between Wayne Enterprises' paperwork and running tests on the samples he gained at Scarecrow's lab, he didn't have time to rest for more than a minute. He barely had the chemical breakdown and reactionary results of one powder when an emergency call came from the cave. It wasn't much of a call. More like a distress signal.

He wasn't the only one who rushed to Mount Justice. Superman and Martian Manhunter were exiting the other two zeta tubes at nearly the same time he was and only had a second to see the damage done to the room before a wave of water struck out at them. Batman dived to the side, away from the attack while Superman took it and the Martian used his telekinetics to cast it aside. "What the..."

Each of them was taken back at the sight of the team leader, Aqualad, displaying all the symptoms of a rabid animal trying to destroy them. Several water constructs formed around him, attacking even while he was striking out physically against Superboy. The clone was on the defensive, trying not to hurt him while attempting to restrain him. Miss Martian was trying to keep the constructs from hurting the Flashes barely recovering from an initial attack. Canary was unconscious and being covered by her Arrow boys not far from Red Tornado. The android was ripped near in two. Kaldur had been a busy berserker.

"J'onn!"

At the command, the Martian's eyes glowed, glaring at the teen causing so much destruction. As the man of steel dived forward to help his clone, the Atlantian roared, jerking back painfully, grabbing his head. Instead of passing out from a brain blast, his constructs became larger and more fierce, whipping around dangerously everywhere. Conner was knocked into a wall just as his genetic donor rammed into the older teen. M'gann continued to try to contain the attack best she could, giving Batman room to move around without being slapped with a wave or two.

"He's not responding normally!" the League psychic roared over the commotion, trying to gain control of the situation. "His mind's reduced to animal levels!"

"Then we better treat him as one!" Superman managed to grab the teen's arms and pull them behind his back, barely in their sockets. He ignored the constant water attack going to his back as he forced the kid to his knees, pinning him in a way. His hands were focused on the young man's joints, keeping him in place as Batman appeared in front of them. Kaldur snarled at the alien, not noticing as the dark knight took out a strange syringe from his belt and jammed it into his neck until it was too late.

Aqualad roared in pain, turning his head back to Batman just in time to see the placid glare on his face. Slowly the teen started to become limp, his constructs dying away to the floor, soaking everyone. Within moments he fell unconscious, forcing Superman to change his grip on him. Problem, negated.

"Is he..." Conner's voice barely made it over everyone's thoughts. What had just happened?

"He's alive, just sleeping," Superman confirmed, then looked at Batman. "What did you give him?"

"An antitoxin sedative," the detective informed them coolly. "I have one on me in case of emergencies. It should start to counteract the effects of Scarecrow's powder."

"Scarecrow's..."

"He confronted him yesterday," he explained, ignoring the looks going around the room. "Most of Crane's toxins have immediate effects. Aqualad didn't have any obvious reactions so I just let him be."

The Bat pulled the needle from the Atlantian's neck, nodding to himself once before looking to Superman. "Take him to the infirmary and get him ready for testing. Strap him down just in case he wakes up before we've cured him. Status report."

He turned to the others around the room as the kryptonian flew off, checking out the damage. It was almost frightening how much Kaldur could do when he let go of all his inhibitions. M'gann helped Wally to his feet while Barry picked himself up. They were soaked and sore, but otherwise unharmed. Roy and Oliver were working to wake Dinah up, but a bleeding lump was on her head, along with several quickly forming bruises on her body. She would need medical attention for holding off the teen as long as she had. Red Tornado was in pieces. Repairs would take some times, but they'd put him back together before; he'd be fine. Conner had a few marks, but otherwise he came out the best of them. Everyone and everything was wet. That made life more difficult for them, but not impossible.

"In one piece, most of us," Conner admitted, glancing over to Tornado.

"Take Tornado to the science lab. Miss Martian, help the injured to the infirmary. Manhunter, clear this place of water then join us in the infirmary."

"What the he-ck is going on?" Flash demanded as soon as he was on his feet. The accelerated healing of a speedster was a blessing at that moment, but the interruption wasn't. As the others struggled to follow the orders that made sense, he turned on the one person who wasn't there earlier but seemed to know the most anyway. "What are you talking about with 'scarecrows' and 'toxins'? How does that explain any of this?!"

"I'll explain what I can in the infirmary." Ignoring the looks on the speedster's face, Batman brought up his wrist computer link to the batcave. The results of the molecular tests he ran earlier would help them correct this, giving them something to start with at the very least.

"Why not here and now?" he barked back. He had been dealing with Kaldur all that day. He wanted explanations.

"I'll only explain it once." With that, the dark knight stalked after the injured, glancing up from the computer screen on occasion. He didn't want to waste time, not after he finally got a solid lead on the madmen who'd eluded him the entire week.

* * *

><p>"So Kaldur got hit with some kind of... berserker powder?" Wally rubbed and rotated his shoulder, getting the feeling back into it as he sat on the bed and listened to the synopsis Bats was giving them on the compound.<p>

"Exactly." Batman was working with several chemicals as he spoke, helping to form an antitoxin better suited to the lad's predicament. "The enzymes inside the compound attacked the primal regions of the brain, stimulating rage. The effects would multiply upon itself until he became unable to control his aggression, commonly called 'going berserk'."

"That explains his short temper today." Green Arrow rubbed the back of his neck remembering how the teen acted all that day. Canary was still out cold in the bed next to them but it was a mild concussion. They'd test her after she woke up for further problems. "He was even trying to convince us to go against your policies on Gotham. Started losing it when we found holes in his plans for tonight. We were trying to get him to calm own and work with us, maybe even go a few rounds."

"Clearly that was a bad idea," Flash murmured, going through the blood analysis for a fifth time. He was not liking the results. "Should have tried yoga or something."

"Wouldn't have worked either." The dark knight set aside a vial for heating and moved on to another possible combination that could help. "Being told to calm down repeatedly is very annoying. His aggression would have only increased faster."

"You know an awful lot about this compound," the speedster pointed out.

"Been analyzing it for half the morning, along with everything else Scarecrow left behind." He finished putting together all the modified fear antitoxins he could come up with that might help. A glance at one of the clocks made him cringe internally. They didn't have a lot of time. "The police are aware of the new compound. Also figured out his plan. Miss Martian, get Superboy and meet me at Gotham's Chinese Theater. I'll explain his plan over the com."

"Yes sir!" The Martian flew out of the room at such speeds, Wally was jealous.

Speaking of which, "What about me?!"

"Until his toxins are out of your system for twenty-four hours, stay out of the field. Agreed?"

"But-"

"Agreed!" Flash overruled Wally's voice, giving him a sharp glare. He was forgetting who was responsible for him when his parents weren't around. The other adults nodded in unison, none of them wanting to take any more chances than necessary now the team was two men down for a bit. They nearly lost Wally the other night. They were not losing him now. The teen's shoulders drooped as he realized he was stuck.

"What? Nothing for me?" Roy folded his arms angrily where he stood. He wasn't part of the team, but he'd been helping with the cases since Monday.

"Aquaman's currently dealing with a problem in Atlantis and cannot be here to help," the dark knight stated evenly, moving towards the exit. "Kaldur will need a trusted face when he wakes up, and someone needs to keep tabs on Wally after his uncle leaves. I'll only need to the two of them and Artemis to handle Scarecrow."

"So you'll trust the newbie and not the veteran huh?" The young man folded his arms, glaring slightly for being slighted. Batman's glare though was better, but it was his former partner whose words hit home.

"We have better things to worry about than who's fighting who Roy." Green Arrow snapped on the other side of Canary. Despite her not being in any real danger, he stayed at her side, holding her hand tightly. Guilt appeared on the younger archer's face, losing the tough guy act as he continued. "Artemis is better off in the field than here watching your friends. This is something only you can do."

After a minute or two more, Roy gave in, sighing. "Fine... but I'm better hear about everything later." He grumbled a bit to the side sourly. "Don't think it's good for her hands though."

"She has her crossbow," his former mentor reminded him. "She'll be fine. She's a tough girl."

"A very tough girl," Wally agreed.

* * *

><p>Said tough girl grimly looked at the overcast above her as she waited on the roof of the Chinese Theater. Her com was on, waiting for Batman to finish telling her the plan and for her team to arrive. Sometimes it sucked living in Gotham, especially when everyone else was already together and something else happened. She'd have to get M'gann to pass her the memories later. Man she hated missing things!<p>

"So Scarecrow is somewhere in this crowd trying to infect people with the berserker dust? How?"

"_Uncertain_," the Bat admitted, shocking everyone. It didn't last very long. "_Remnants of common light bulbs were found at the abandoned building, but unless he wired them to explode over the crowd as they file into the premiere, it won't be very effective. Keep an eye out for maintenance workers._"

"_From the roof?_" Superboy's surprise matched Artemis', until she took a look around. She would be able to see out of place trucks from where she was, and Batman approved.

"_It's a place to start. Superboy and Miss Martian will join the crowd, looking for suspicious characters. Artemis and I will work behind the scenes. Anyone acts out of place, report it. Confirm with another before making any moves. We are not here to spoil the premiere._"

"_What's coming out anyway?_" Miss Martian asked, really confused. "_I mean, it's Wednesday. Who puts a movie out on-_"

"It's for the bigwigs as a fundraiser," Artemis cut in, looking over the flyer she snatched. "Some environmental group put it together and critics say it's decent. Don't think you'd like it though. Not cute enough."

"_I can watch other things_," the Martian insisted, pouting a bit.

"Just not zombies." She heard Conner snort but that was the end of it. It was time to get on mission before the Bat snapped at them. The game was afoot.

* * *

><p>AN: the Zombie movie reference comes from my fic Trauma (a long one-shot) so read that to get the joke. And I have no idea what the movie they're watching is. Setting is January 2012, and couldn't find a movie I liked for this back then so if you know of one that'll work, please tell. As for the rest, Kaldur's a pretty tough fighter and I tried to make him powerful and scary while acting out of control. I needed to cut back on cast members too so I divided everyone up. Large groups, particularly in fights get very confusing and hard to write. I really hope I remembered the day of the week right. I wanted to complete this chapter at last then wrap up Scarecrow in the next so I could finish this up soon.

no idea how much longer it will be, adn I can't guarantee I'll be working on this alone, but I will try. I will end this, hopefully before Christmas. Wish me luck! And never forget to push me once in a while. I'm a lazy bum who sometimes needs a kick in the head. ^^;


	26. Ch 26 Ending Fear

I is not dead! I've been stressing over how to do this chapter and how to finish up Scarecrow, but as I've probably stated before, I have trouble doing fight scenes. So I'm sorry to those who wanted a fight, I didn't put one in. Not on screen at least. Now I've got a question for you, but I'll hold it until the end. Hope you like how they handle this one! And I certainly hope I've got the day right on the chapter. That's one thing I've lost track on with this story. What day are they on again? Wednesday right? =/ Oh well. Enjoy! I'm having fun with Doctors! =D

* * *

><p><strong>Ch. 26 - Ending Fear<strong>

"Why did you make them junior reporters?" Artemis glanced over to Batman before looking back to the parking lot below. The dark knight hid a smirk, keeping his eyes and ears open instead of answering.

So far he'd seen hundreds of socialites and do-gooders, but none who'd care if Bruce Wayne was there. He was off the hook this time, and grateful for it. He didn't want to see the movie anyway. What he wanted to see was Scarecrow behind bars before the night was through. But where was he?

"Well?" The archer didn't seem to understand the need for silence while on a stakeout. Neither did Robin in all honesty, but he could be discrete when the time called for it.

Batman rolled his eyes before explaining the obvious. "No one questions why reporters are at an event. Keep your eyes peeled. Scarecrow likes to watch his work."

"Sick puppy." She looked back over the crowd lining up to get inside, trying not to feel bored. "Why does he do this? Make people scared for no real reason."

"Phobophilia. The love of fear." He looked towards the back of the building, hoping to see something. Damn it was cold. Didn't she read the review about this criminal? "Crane studied phobias professionally at the university, but his funding was cut when students reported his dangerous experiments. He's continued them on the general populace since. To him, this is just an experiment. He doesn't care if people are hurt or suffer permanent psychological damage. He just wants to see the effects.

"To him fear is power, and he will do everything he can to control it." Inwardly he hoped this would be enough information to silence the girl. He needed to concentrate on the matter at hand. How would Crane strike? Had he already? Did he have a trap set up? It was only luck he connected the dots at all. When he was processing the lab they found the previous day, there was a flyer for this event, and a set of blueprints of the building, both burnt. Alfred hunted half the day on the computer for a match. Thank heavens for silly people putting those flyers on facebook.

Still presented the problem of finding out how he was distributing the gas. He already looked over the air vents for tampering and put sensors near them to warn them about any movements there. Same with the place's water supply, but honestly he doubted Crane would use such a slow method. Unless he already changed the light bulbs and rigged them to explode at one time or another, there were very few options left. When was the madman going to appear?

"So how is he going to watch it?" Artemis' question was quite valid, sparking an idea in the dark knight's mind. "Is he... like on a rooftop? In a surveillance van? Part of the crowd? How do you think he's gonna-"

"Superboy, use your infra-vision and check the service rooms. Miss Martian, mentally gloss over the vans outside. Report anything out of the ordinary." The look he gained from the archer only made the orders more urgent in the Bat's mind. Rooftops were too obvious, especially for this. Mingling with the crowd wouldn't be too difficult, but Crane and any accomplices needed to explain their added items, whatever they were.

"_Got it._" "_Anything specific?_"

"People who are overly anxious or too calm."

"You think he's already here?" The archer didn't like being cut out of the action. Well hopefully neither of them would be needed. Keeping it covert was necessary in order for order to be maintained. Crane on his own wasn't dangerous, a twig really, but his concoctions were. Martians and Kryptonians though had a higher resistance to them. They should be able to handle whatever came their way.

"Count on it."

They waited in silence for a few minutes before any response came from the other two inside. "_I think I see something in the electrical closet. There's a lot of security around, I don't know if I can get to it._"

"There shouldn't be any security there."

"_Ah great._"

"Miss Martian, verify-"

"_On it._" An anxious moment passed in silence, followed by a frustrated sigh. "_The majority of the guards are off duty police officers of former military. The ones near the electrical room and towards the catwalks are harder to read. Clouded, like they're-_"

"Drugged."

"_Really aggressive emotions too. Like Kaldur earlier._"

"Ding ding ding! We have a winner." Artemis whipped an arrow out of her quiver, ready to leap in and start fighting within a second. "Let's get this guy and call it a night."

"Stand down Artemis. Crane wouldn't be on his drug." Batman narrowed his gaze around the building again. Guarding electrical and catwalks? "They're the hired help, and don't realize they've been had. Number and positions."

"_Two at the electrical room, two next to the walk access, and one guarding that hallway._"

"_There's someone up above too,_" Conner reported. "_Someone's moving up there at least. The lights are making it hard to see how many for certain._"

"You two take care of the ground troops. Quietly. We're headed south." The dark knight spun away from the roof's edge and towards their access to the walkways just below them.

"How do you take out security guards quietly?" their archer wondered out loud.

Batman didn't even acknowledge that one with an answer. Scarecrow was either in the crowd below or on the skywalks. Either way, they were going to stop him before he drove the people into chaos.

* * *

><p>Megan had no problem sneaking up on the two men guarding the electrical room. The problem was trying to knock them out before they went postal on everyone. In the bioship, Batman gave them several ready-made injections of the compound used on Kaldur during his rampage. They weren't going to cure anyone, but it would stop them until the cure was available. Last they knew, her uncle and Flash were still working on the antitoxin. Hopefully it'd be ready when they bagged this crook and his goons.<p>

So instead of getting close enough to focus a brain blast on the two (the berserker drug made it near impossible to break through mentally without serious damage), she entered camouflage mode, floated up between them, then jabbed both their necks with Batman's homemade generic knockout-antitoxin. Both large men made quick jerks of pain and cried out, but it was minimal over the loud din and her telekinesis stopped them from making any huge motions. Keeping them still until they passed completely out kept any possible onlookers from making any connections until it was too late. Within a few minutes, both of them were sitting on the ground, out cold.

Breathing out a sigh, the Martian started searching for a key to the room they were guarding. "Electrical room secured. Checking on hostages momentarily."

"_Be aware; Crane tests his toxins on everyone._" Batman's warning came just in time for the young woman. As soon as she had the key, she unlocked the door to see how the occupants were doing, she felt sick.

Locked away were seven men in varying uniforms; most of them were security, but one was general maintenance and the other management. All of them were bound, gagged, and unconscious in the worst ways possible. They clearly struggled against their bonds, only for their wrists to be rubbed raw. Their gags were red with blood stains, some brown appearing now and again. And their eyes were open, rolled back into the back of their head. Veins were pulsing even now and their bodies shook and twitched involuntarily. Was this what happened to people who let the toxin take over?

Still shaken, Miss Martian pressed her com to make sure everyone was aware. "Guys, we may have a medical emergency. How long until we get that antitoxin here?"

"_An ambulance and medical team is already on its way to the side entrance._"

"When did you-"

"_Focus on the mission._" A bit perturbed, M'gann shifted into the normal light spectrum and started looking around the room. Couldn't that man explain things more often? They only had so much to work with and... Looking around, she didn't know what was off, but something certainly was. She needed to look at maintenance rooms more often.

Despite her inexperience, it became painfully obvious what was tampered with pretty quickly. A strange gizmo was attached to a series of wires and breakers, with a ticking digital clock counting downwards from thirty-four minutes and some twenty seconds. This was worse than those bombs before. That at least she could chuck into space. This though...

"He's using something in the building's electric grid," she reported quickly. "We've got a little over thirty minutes before something happens."

"_Thirty minutes. Plenty of time._" Artemis' confidence was reinforced with a snap of her bow.

"_Ladder to the catwalks cleared,_" Superboy informed them. "_I found a bag of bulbs just inside the door._"

"Spares?"

"_Crane needed more time to switch them out._" Batman cut them off before they could socialize. "_Artemis, cover the exit. Superboy, the lower level. Miss Martian, how many are in the closet?_"

"Seven," she informed him easily. "Mostly guards."

"_The others?_"

"Um.,." She looked back to the men on the ground. "I think one's a janitor and the other a manager."

"_Leave the door open for the medical team and rejoin the crowd. Keep your eyes and ears open for someone in either uniform who matches Crane's likeness._" They could hear him punch someone in the face over the line.

"You think he-"

"_At this point, anything's possible._"

Taking the subtle hint, Megan changed back into her civilian guise and mingled with the crowd. Batman really didn't know everything after all. She could hear him and Artemis fighting someone upstairs over the com, but not a lot. For some reason she felt a little jibed being on the ground floor like this. Still, this was her job, and she was going to do it well.

As she searched the crowd for any sign of the mastermind behind this, she listened intently to the others talking on the other end. Mostly a lot of thumping, rustling, and grunting. Occasionally there were some choice curses, but far and few between. Eventually even those stopped.

"_That all of them?_"

"_Looks it._"

"_But... no one's come at me at all._"

"_Clear down here too._" Superboy seemed just as disgruntled as she was.

"_We need to remove the contaminated bulbs,_" Batman reminded them quickly. "_Superboy, stay at your post. Miss Martian may need assistance. Artemis, start on the left. Remove all the LED and PAR lights at the moment._"

"_The what and the what?_"

They could almost hear the man sighing his disappointment. "_They're the large ones shaped as cones with flat or rounded glass covering the end. Non colored lenses."_

"_This is going to burn and blind me won't it._"

"_Better than hundreds of rampaging people ending in catatonia._" This shut the archer up entirely, setting herself up to work once again. Conversation pretty much died over the coms, forcing Megan to focus on looking at the crowd and the people on the sidelines.

Scarecrow was there somewhere right? If she were a fear crazy ex-teacher, where would she position herself to watch the show? Well, the box office would be ideal but-

"OW! Watch it skinny!"

With a snap, the Martian jerked her gaze towards the sound, instantly spotting the person she was looking for. Ironically, it wasn't one of those participating in the fight, but the manager standing nearby who should have been breaking it up who caught her eye. Professor Crane was just watching with interest, pressing his glasses up so he could watch it better. A large messenger bag was slung over his shoulder and he seemed quite amused by the situation.

"Eyes on Scarecrow," she informed her squad quietly. "Conner, I'm going to need your help grabbing him."

"_On it. Just tell me what to do._" She could hear the clone leaving his post to join her in the main lobby almost instantly.

"How about I just show you what I'm planning."

"_Works for me._" What she had planned was sent to him mentally and she could feel him grin. "_Looks good. May want to-_"

"Already on it." Quickly Megan changed a few facial features and took one of the free drinks being passed around from a caterer. Getting over to Dr. Crane took a lot longer than she anticipated due to the crowd, but she managed to get two feet from him without anyone in the way just seconds before Conner came into view.

Then she tripped. "AAHH!"

Her sparkling cider flew out of her hand and onto the man's suit just before the made bodily contact with him, practically tackling him to the ground. Several people stepped out of the way and at least one person took a picture. Crane was not happy. "What the he-"

"I'm so sorry!" Megan fumbled as she tried repeatedly to get back on her feet. "I didn't mean to grab you! Oh no! Your suit! I ruined your suit! I- AH!" She fell over once again, frustrating the man. "Sorry! Just gimme a- Sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm such a klutz..."

"Just get off me little girl!" The wiry man wasn't easy to get away from, even when she wasn't making it difficult. She really did need Conner's help getting up, especially after palming the secondary control for the device she found earlier. Scanning his mind, she found out about his plan in case Batman arrived and spoiled things. With that now out of the way, all that was left was apprehending the psychopath.

"Sorry!"

"Megan! There you are!" Conner came up behind her and helped her to her feet. "Should have known I'd be rescuing you from a fall. You really need to pay attention to where you're going."

"Sorry..."

"Here. Let me help you up sir." Not waiting for a response, the clone reached down and pulled the man to his feet, keeping a firm grip on him.

"Let go of me!" growled the scientist.

"Ah man! You're a mess!" Conner made a big show out of being worried for his clothes. "That's just..."

"Sorry. I messed up." Megan put up her best self-disappointed face possible to make her look more like a victim here. "Here! I'll help you get cleaned up!"

"That won't be-"

"That's gonna stain," she insisted, "and stick. I gotta clean it out. Please? It'll just take a minute."

"I don't have-" Ignoring his protests, the girl took hold of his arm and started dragging him towards the bathrooms. "Get your hands off me!"

"Please! I feel really bad about this!"

"You may as well just let her," Conner put in. "She's not going to stop."

"But I-"

The lad took his other arm and helped drag him along. "Just come on. It'll be faster this way."

The crowd around them lost interest easily after that point, some getting out of their way to end the drama. Crane protested the entire way while the teens kept insisting like any other concerned person. It wasn't long until they were out of the crowd and only a minute more before Superboy opened his jacket and Miss Martian turned a little green, leading him towards the now unguarded catwalk/roof access. The kryptonian crushed the second trigger in his hand before his eyes.

"Hello Mr. Crane."

* * *

><p>AN: Whew! That's done. I loved that M'gann and Conner were the ones handling the ground floor and the inside joke Bats did with their covers (since Clark is a reporter, he made Conner one too!). I though the ending was rather weak, but I really want to end this soon so I only stress out about _Fixing Damian_ (which I've started working on again thank you very much. it's just harder to do their fluff when I have another story loaded with Dami and Timmy fluff). So! The question is: should I have the team put Joker in prison or not? It'll take longer, but since they already took on Joker before, it would correlate with _Without Me_ fine, it shouldn't be too impossible to just move along to Robin's extraction.

So what do you think? Should we just move on to thursday and get Robin home? Or tie up all loose ends, put Joker behind bars (which may take months), then get Robin home? It's been so long I'm not sure how I'd catch the joker in such a short amount of time anyway so I'm open to suggestions this once. Plus, tell me if I am right with the timing and all. And what you think. I'm trying to get this guy done at long last.


	27. Ch 27 One Day More

*gasp* is it true? another chapter so soon?! yes! yes it is! Good news people! I just finished writing the entire story! Sorry it took so long but in the next three days, you'll be getting the end of _Where's Robin_ at long last. I decided to say, 'forget Joker! he had his day! Robin's coming home now!' and move on. This chapter is a bit choppy and a touch fluffy, but it covers everything that needed to be done. I wanted to get this thing done at last and now it is! Can you tell just how happy I am to finally finish this guy? :P Anywho, enjoy what you can.

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><p><strong>Ch. 27 - One Day More<strong>

"What happened to you?" Commissioner Gordon looked over the Batman in the nearby shadows, a bit concerned. The large hero was a little hunched over and other signs he learned over the years told him of injuries sustained in the evening's events.

Jonathan Crane was well locked up in the back of a police swat car while several ambulances at the theater's side entrance took in as many new patients as possible. About a dozen people were exposed to the rage formula in the end, and only half of them were knocked out due to Batman's emergency drug. Manhunter informed him the vaccine was finished at last and Flash played courier to the hospital. Everyone would be back to normal within the hour. Best part was the event wasn't spoiled. This would merely be a footnote in tomorrow's paper.

"The usual. Anything on Joker?"

Gordon eyed him for a minute longer before sighing and taking out his pipe. "Nothing. There's a rumor he's headed out of town, but nothing more. I'm surprised he didn't attack cake shops after Sunday night."

"Keep an eye on any bakeries starting up for a while. He might be planning something in the near future there."

"Or he could throw us for a curve ball and go after puppies. Where's Robin these days? He always comes up with interesting ideas." The officer lit a match and set fire to his tobacco, warming himself up a bit. Stupid January weather. "His grades drop?"

"Early prevention."

"Good for him. My Barbara should follow his example." He puffed out some smoke, chewing on his pipe. "Crane said something about a green girl and some super kid. For a moment I thought Robin suddenly sprouted wings or something. Any connection to those kids Sunday night?"

When he didn't get a response, the Commissioner turned back to the shadows and sighed. He was gone again. Such a mysterious, yet predictable fellow. Whenever things became the slightest bit uncomfortable, he vanished into the night. "One of these days I'm gonna nail that cape of his to the wall."

* * *

><p>Bruce somehow managed to get home and patched up before two am that night, having gone on patrol after his conversation with Gordon. After the team went home, he needed to clear his head.<p>

In nearly twenty-hour hours, it would be a complete week since Robin last stood in their world. The last time they spent that much time apart, Batman was the one far away, captured by the League of Assassins with the League. And all he could think about during his captivity was how his boy must have felt.

The mindless fighting and apprehending of low end criminals helped distract his anxiety and tired him out, but he still found his feet coming to a stop before Dick's bedroom door. Heart aching, the father quietly open the door and stepped inside. Equally silent, he closed it and made his way over to the large chair sitting next to the bed. They always meant to put it back where it belonged, but never did. Whenever Dick was badly injured or ill, Alfred or he would be sitting there through the night to keep an eye on the lad. Now all it could do was show him an empty bed.

Not listening to that small reasonable voice in his head, Bruce sat down in that chair and set his eyes on where the boy's head would normally be, imagining he was there. Part of him knew this wasn't healthy, but the rest of him didn't care. He just sat in that chair, watching the empty bed until he passed clear out.

'_Just a little longer Dick. Today or tomorrow. I will get you home._'

* * *

><p>Artemis rebandaged her hands after her shower at PE, admiring how much better they looked. Not much really, but at least they could function. Explaining the wrappings all that week was fun, but all she really needed to do was explain that she had an argument with someone and it deteriorated. Helped she was a scholarship student from a bad part of time.<p>

Course, not everyone took her excuses at face value. Barbara Gordon was in her PE class and grimaced at the sight of them. "Ouch. How'd that happen?"

"Fight back home." She quickly finished wrapping them up and getting back in her uniform so she could escape the commissioner's daughter. She was quite astute.

"Looks more like training welts." The archer had to look at the redhead a second time before it all registered. Barbara was very clever. It was kind of annoying. "You do archery?"

Sensing there was no point in denying it, she shrugged sheepishly. "I try. Obviously not that good. How do-"

"My dad got me into a lot of things when I was younger. Thought they were useful, but I got bored and quit things all the time." She showed Artemis her hands so she could see the callouses there. Honestly their hands looked a lot the same, minus a few scars. "When we could afford it, I took martial arts classes. A few officers even taught me boxing."

"Cool."

"So who's teaching you?" The girl gave her a curious look, one that reminded her of a cat who already knew the end result, or had an idea.

Gordon was getting too close.

Quickly the blond stepped away, grabbing her bag as she made a quick excuse. "Mostly pick it up as I go. Not really something I want to talk about, okay?"

Twisting her lips, Gordon's girl thought about it then nodded. "Guess this is the wrong place for that. Man I hate rich brats..."

"Join the club," Artemis joked, headed out the door. "We meet on Mondays. Later."

"Later." The archer got chills as she left the lockers and entered the winter air. That girl was way too bright. One of these days she was going to be trouble.

Little did she know the little lady was already figuring everything out. Watching the blond walk away, Barbara smirked. "Really need to get a less obvious name, Artemis."

Now if only she could some evidence on Robin...

* * *

><p>The day seemed to drag on, for all of them. Kaldur and Roy were especially bored. With everyone else at school and them with nothing but keeping tabs on each other, they were bored senseless. And they couldn't nap the day away. Martian Manhunter said to keep Kaldur awake for the next 24 hours for observation, and Red Tornado was busy making sure the projector thing still had enough energy for a two way trip later.<p>

So the archer and fishboy were stuck together all the day long being bored. Oh joy. "We could watch another movie."

"Monty Python gets boring if that's all you see," Roy stated flatly, debating putting an arrow through something, just to alleviate the boredom. The TV did have it coming. "We need to do something cool."

"The water is too cold for you to survive it," Kaldur reminded him. The Atlantian felt sluggish and really wanted to get back into the sea, but until his king could escape his meetings and disputes, he was stuck where he was. Everyone was certain the doctors there would be better handling his recovery than they were, but timing was not in their favor. "And they said sparring was out of the question."

"Did Robin or Wally leave a game system here?" Bored, the ginger peeled himself off the couch and started shuffling through the cabinets to find something to watch or do. Man he was bored! Even Pokémon would do!

"If they did, it is in one of their rooms." Kal rubbed his eyes tiredly, just wanting to sleep. When he woke up around midnight, he just wanted to pass out again. Instead he spent nearly fifteen hours awake, slightly grumpy, and watching pointless, sometimes funny, movies with Roy. Red Tornado kept him up with conversation until the archer was awake enough to take over. No doubt the young man was tired of this as well. "I do not know their codes."

"Knowing Wals it's lame, and Robin would have something complicated yet silly. Ugh..." He looked over to the pile of board games and card games they tried earlier. Boring, boring, and dullsville. All that was left was the puzzles and they were not that patient. At least he wasn't. It might work for Kaldur though. He picked up one featuring Robin Hood and showed it to his friend. "Interested?"

He sighed, inching his way off the couch to the coffee table before them. "May as well. Nothing else to do."

"Except maybe update us on recent events."

With a snap, both teens looked up and towards the doorway to see those who just arrived. Standing just inside the room were Green Lanterns Hal Jordon and John Stewart. Guy Gardner was in the kitchen raiding the fridge. They had a few fresh bruises and Stewart had his arm in a green sling, but otherwise they were in pretty good shape. Smiling even. They made really good time.

"You're back!" Roy leapt to his feet, grinning and meeting them half way. Kaldur struggled to get to his feet to meet them as equals. The fight the previous day took more out of his body than he realized. The archer grasped hands with Hal, beaming.

"And baring gifts." The first lantern raised two round disks about the size of campaign buttons to eye level. "We can get Robin home in no time."

"Sweet!" They looked at the troublesome tags for a moment before looking back to the space cops. "But... I thought you'd be here tomorrow at the earliest."

"We found a shortcut."

"After a skirmish with a few pirates, one of the grateful cargo ship captains gave us a lift just outside the system. Took two days off our flight and gave us a chance to rest." Stewart, looked over to Kaldur curiously. "What happened to you?"

"I was doused with Scarecrow's latest drug and attacked my friends and colleges."

"It was no picnic on our end you know." Roy gave them a knowing smirk, folding his arms proudly. "Kal's not that easy to take on when he's going all out. The team had to deal with Batman and his rogues all week long. If this is what Rob goes through all the time, then it's a miracle Gotham's not in rubble by now. Not to mention I took on Cheshire, Sportsmaster, and a few of their goons to stop some weird theft around here."

"Which still makes little sense," Kaldur elaborated, smirking at his friend. The archer just shrugged.

"Still couldn't be cooler than fighting space pirates." Gardner came out of the fridge with some leftover fried chicken from Wally's binge last night. They were saving it for when he arrived after school. Whoops. A can of soda found its way to the counter as he closed the thing. "There had to be-"

"Some criminals rarely make sense," Hal interrupted, stopping things before they started.

"At least until there are more pieces to the puzzle," John amended. "So things been pretty normal around here."

"If what the team faced in Gotham with Robin away is considered normal." Roy looked at the locator beacons in Hal's hand again, curious. "Why didn't you phone ahead? Batman would have been here waiting for you. Or you could have gone straight to him."

"Interrupted his day job before," he grimaced. "Never a good idea. Besides, knowing him he'd want to completely recreate the night Robin was shot out of this universe. Which means pulling everyone else out of school early."

"Not going to happen." John looked at the clock and nodded to himself. "Wally should be out of school in an hour right? We need to rest up a bit and catch up on reports in the meantime."

"I'll call Bats in a few," Hal promised. He set the tags on the countertop on his way to the kitchen, grabbing a chicken leg before grabbing a drink for himself. "If everything goes well, Robin will be home before dinner time."

* * *

><p>Wally could hardly contain himself the last hour of classes after he got Roy's text. With Batman's text twenty minutes later telling him to go straight to the mountain after school, it was nay impossible. As soon as the last bell rang, he was out the door. And as soon as he was out of sight of the school and buses, he kicked up his running to the speed of sound. It took a grand total of ten minutes to make to the mountain and get past security, but it was worth it. "Ya got 'em?!"<p>

Batman presented the tags to the teen while the rest of his team and associates jumped at his entrance. "Not yet. To ensure everything is done perfectly and I go right where Robin was sent, we have to recreate that night. Stand over there."

"Gotcha." The speedster looked at the holoscreens already up displaying every one of his hand movements so he could press the right buttons in the right order as he got back to where he stood that night. A red tape X was on the floor so he wouldn't mess that up.

"Hey," Conner interjected, coming up with something they hadn't dared talked about in detail. "What if Robin was sent into a rock formation? If you go through then-"

"Then I die." The implications struck each of them in turn, realizing how dangerous all of this was. Pinning one beacon to his belt and activating it to ensure his retrieval. "Every half hour after the sendoff, activate the retrieval mode unless I manage to send a message back saying otherwise. If we are sent into stone and die, you'll at least get a body out of it. That being the case," he looked over to Superman who was starting to stress in the corner at the idea, "talk to Agent A. He'll handle the rest."

"Likelihood of that happening though is small." Hal stepped forward before things got too gloomy. "The dealer I got those from said the beam sent things to safe, vacant areas in alternate universes. It doesn't kill things... I don't think..."

"Didn't do that box much good," Artemis murmured, getting a few nods from people around the room.

"There's a weight requirement," he explained. "Your box didn't meet it."

"Got the sequence?" Batman dragged them back to the moment, a little annoyed. Though it alleviated some tension knowing they would likely both be coming back, the next question was how soon.

"Think so. Is speed a factor with this?" Wally looked over to Hal who shook his head. Nodding, he looked to Red Tornado holding the device. "Give it here."

The android passed over the projector, careful to point it in a particular direction. "Batman, you should stand in position."

"Done." Stopping just a foot in front of Wally, the dark knight stood on a second X (black), his eyes on the teen. "Be ready."

Dry mouthed, the teen nodded and proceeded to press buttons, following the exact sequence he did the other week. Batman turned around, his back facing him and braced for impact. All the evidence suggested Robin was thrown backwards and into danger. Batman would not be repeating that bit. Within seconds the machine was humming and glowing again. Taking a deep breath, Wally braced himself for the second shot in his life. "Every half hour?"

"Every half hour."

"Got it. On the count of three. One, two, three!" Again he squeezed one handle, sending a surge through the crystal end once again, blinding everyone. An earsplitting snap filled the air, deafening them for a minute. As soon as they opened their eyes and looked at the X's, they knew everything was done.

Batman was gone and the machine was quieting down once again. Wally stood alone in the center of the room, trying not to let go of the device that started the fiasco.

He looked over to Red Tornado once again and swallowed. "Start the clock."

* * *

><p>AN: told ya it was choppy. so the Gordons are suspicious about Robin, Babs figured out Artemis (important in epilogue), the Green Lanterns are back, they have the tags, and they have shot Bats into the next world with the tags for Robin retrieval. I estimated that it took about half an hour in _Without Me_ for Robin to say his goodbyes and get zapped back home, so I made that the amount of time Bats would have told the others to wait before zapping them back.

Tomorrow will have a pointless fluff scene before the Bats come home and the day after will tie up all loose ends minus Joker. Sorry, he's still loose. It'll be short and sweet, but done! Hope you've liked! ^^V


	28. Ch 28 Homecoming

If you wanted to see what happened during the extraction, look up Without Me. This is what's happening in this one world alone. Anywho, the first part is about pizza, and they have been harmed in the making of this story, several times. The ending's a bit abrupt, but I didn't know how to make it totally awesome. Okiday. enjoy!

Sorry for the delay. The site's been stubborn and hasn't let me post until now. :[

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><p><strong>Ch. 28 - Homecoming<strong>

Everyone paced anxiously as they waited for the half hour to be done. Red Tornado had to have a sense of humor, because he put the countdown clock above all their heads in big, red numbers. It even beeped softly as it ticked passed the seconds. Nanoseconds were even being recorded for those who felt no time was passing. Nothing helped their anxiety.

"What do you think happened to Robin all this week?" M'gann stayed with her boyfriend, more than a little worried.

"If we're lucky," Artemis started, keeping her eye on Wally sitting on his X still, "he ran into the League there and they took care of him like he was their own boy wonder. Or he ended up in an empty cave and managed to survive there in the quiet. Worst case scenario, he ran into an evil version of the League. Or just the bad guys.

"Either way we're getting answers today." She looked over the rest and the chill of reality seeping now into them. Great. Just what they needed. More doom and gloom. Uncomfortable, she decided to change the venue. "Hey, who's hungry?"

That stirred up a lot of controversy. "How can you even think about-"

"Sounds like a great idea." Hal gave everyone a broad grin, calming them a bit. "Look, this is Batman we're dealing with. The best thing we can do is sit back, grab a snack, and watch the show. Stressing isn't gonna help anyone. Who's up for pizza?"

"Who's buying?" Stewart smirked, both encouraging Artemis' idea: get everyone's minds off of the possibilities and keep the hope alive.

His coworker looked over to Superman who looked more constipated than Wally pacing near the zeta-tubes. "You still got Bat's credit card?"

"Wha... ah... yeah?"

"Think you can hit up the local pizza parlor and snag us some pizzas?" He grinned encouragingly. "The kid will want a victory dinner before Batman whisks him back to their secret cave, and didn't he say they never get takeout?"

This made the man of steel relax a little, giving him a slight glare. "There's a reason for that, and I don't think you want to suffer his wrath."

"Well I want pizza," Hal insisted. "I spent the past two weeks off world and the one thing I really want right now is real Earth food, grease and all. Now go fetch me some pepperoni pizza."

"Hal-"

"I could use some too," John added, slightly amused. He looked over to the team watching the debate. "How about you guys? Pizza sound good?"

"Pizza always sounds good," Wally piped in, looking up at them grinning. Anxious though he was, he was clearly itching to bring the dynamic duo back. Yet he managed to keep a positive outlook on things. "I'll take two. We can save Robin a slice and that'll be fine with his wardens."

"Wardens?" Conner asked, a bit amused. Roy nodded knowingly. The way he described his private life, it was sometimes like he had two wardens. At least that was the case with food and nutrition.

"The cheap pepperoni pizzas around here are actually pretty good," Artemis added in. "A couple cans of soda and we're the clear."

"Is now really the time to talk about food?" Kaldur questioned, exchanging glances with M'gann. They really didn't understand where things were going.

"Better than never I guess," she shrugged.

"Got that Supes? We need at least five pepperonis and a dozen cokes." Hal grinned as he ordered their leader around. "If you hurry, you can make it back before they do."

"Hal..." Seeing the kryptonian whine was a bit amusing, making his clone struggle to hide a smile.

"That'll be a lot for him to carry don't you think?" John and his cohort passed knowing glances, probably having already talked about all of this earlier. "Strong he may be, but he only has two hands."

"Good point." Hal looked over to Conner and snapped his fingers. "Hey! Junior! Help your old man out with the grub okay?"

"Me?!" "What?!" The clone and his genetic donor gave identical surprised faces, making a few of them chuckle. No denying relations there. "But-"

"No arguing. Go!" Both lanterns powered up their rings and shoved the men into the zeta-tube. One of their rings pressed the coordinates into the system and sent them through without a choice in the matter. Stunned kryptonians were so fun to mess with.

Watching the display end, over half the room cracked up laughing. "You didn't-" "Priceless! Forced bonding!" "Oooo... they're gonna be so mad..." "Think they'll actually get the grub?"

"Probably," Hal answered smugly. "Superman is way too good a guy not to get us food. The kid on the other hand..."

"Conner will go if Superman will," M'gann assured them, smiling a little. Each of them relaxed a little, thinking of those two. "He wants to make him proud, no matter what."

"Think they'll make it back in eighteen minutes?" Artemis looked up at the clock again, realizing their little distraction only took about five minutes away.

"Count on it."

Shrugging, the group started to pace less and talk more. Stressing over the next fifteen or so minutes wasn't helping anyone. If Batman didn't return after that point, stressing may be important. An hour later... well that would be inevitable.

Five minutes left, the zeta-tube activated again and granted entrance to the two kryptonians, who were in the midst of being incredibly sheepish. Identically sheepish. It was enough to make girlfriends and colleges laugh at them. M'gann used her telepathy to distribute the boxes and drinks without any difficulties. "Here, let me."

"Thanks," murmured the clone.

"Have fun bonding?" Hal's teasing made everyone smirk knowingly at the pair. The two were a little red at the comment but no one pressed for more. They were too distracted by the food. "Ah come on! What happened to Little Mitty's?! I liked their stuff."

"Think they closed down," his cohort stated as he took a slice for himself. "Kelsey's is pretty good too you know."

"But Mitty's crust had a zing to them. I swear he-"

Above them the timer beeped, signaling the end of the countdown. Wally got back on his feet, raising the device to chest level. "Alright. Let's get this done."

"Remember," Hal started, "for the return, you turn the other handle. Otherwise you're just sending over air."

"Got it." He pressed the buttons and braced himself once more. "Here goes nothing."

Once again, the machine charged up and sent out a blinding light. This one though brought with it a sucking noise just before the snap. Opening their eyes, they could make out two figures coming to a halt two feet before the speedster. Wally still had his firmly shut. "Did it work?"

"What do you think?!"

"OW!" Everyone's vision cleared just as they looked over to the source of the voices. One lifted their spirits straight to heaven. Before them was Robin, glaring and smirking at Wally who rubbed his shoulder protectively. "That hurt!"

"So did being sent to an alternate reality where I was DEAD! I told you not to mess with that thing! Do you have any idea how _stressing_ that other world was?!" Robin threw his hands up in the air dramatically. "Their Batman rejected me until last night, majority of the league thought I was an idiot for doing this job, and out of all of us, only Zatanna visited the mountain! Two of-!"

Without any warning, the boy wonder fell prey to the group hug, nearly being suffocated by Wally, M'gann, and Artemis. His other teammates hung back a bit, grinning to themselves as they got closer. Happy days were here again.

"You're back! You're really back!" "DUDE! I'm so sorry! I never shoulda-" "Man we've missed you."

"I can tell." For a moment, the little bird just stood there, startled, then he broke into a broad grin, taking in as many people as he could in his arms. "It's good to be home."

"Suffocating yet?" Roy's joke only brought attention to him, which was what he wanted.

Robin just grinned at him. "Not yet. If you really want me dead, get over here and finish the job."

The laughter emanating through the cave was accompanied by many more hugs and reassurances that their little light was there. Batman stayed where he was, just watching it all. Only his closest allies saw the subtle smile on his face. This was the best part of the job after all: watching people being returned home to their loved ones. It only doubled this time because it was one of their own.

Their little bird was finally home, and nothing could tear him away from them now.

* * *

><p>AN: Well, there you have it! A few loose ends will be tied up tomorrow. But this is pretty much it. Tomorrow's all fluff and a small thing or two, but nothing significant for the epilogue. hope you've liked the pizza!


	29. Epilogue

And this is it! The end of the line. Please read my notes at the end. Enjoy! ^^V

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><p><strong>Epilogue<strong>

Dick sighed heavily at the stack of homework he had to catch up on. Despite doing voluntary homework in the other dimension, none of it counted. He had that project with Barbara (which she was going to kill him for he was sure), two tests to do, and half a dozen small essays to complete before he could get caught up. Then there was the worksheets and textbook assignments. Man he hated missing school. The catch-up work sucked!

Rubbing his neck, he mentally reviewed all the wonderful things that happened since his homecoming. Lots and lots of hugs and 'I missed you's from the team and League, pizza, a wonderful dinner from Alfred, a very good night's sleep for once, and a few visits after a debriefing from Bruce. Apparently Dick Grayson had a bad cold border lining pneumonia all that week, and was going to be kept home through the weekend too for good measure. This kept their neighbor's kid and Babs away and the tabloids at bay. It was only that Friday they could visit at all.

Little Timmy's visit was short but enjoyable, in a cute way. He mostly just yammered about the week, the party he missed (and Brucie's date), and gave him a handmade card. The kid was so cute and made him appreciate the innocence they had every day.

Barbara's visit was anything but calm and cute. "And just where were you? Really?"

Dick just blinked at her in confusion for a good long minute before answering. "Here. Sick as a dog."

"That's a load of crap and you know it." Miffed, the redhead glared at him from his bed. She sat on the soft cushion while he tried to organize his homework and notes for their project.

"No seriously Babs. I was so bad I couldn't leave the house."

"Too sick to even pick up the phone and tell me?" The girl was not buying it. She didn't buy half his Robin excuses, but he gave them anyway. And sometimes he played dumb.

"You called?" Picking up his phone from his charging spot, he flipped through his missed messages. Being in an alternate world, he didn't get any of her messages or notification until he got back. Stupid Wally...

"Yes I called. Multiple times. Texted too." Her eyes narrowed with each accusation.

"Sorry," he murmured, still acting confused. "I was so out of it, I don't know what happened."

"It said your phone was disconnected."

That one shot his eyebrows clear into his bangs. Hoh boy... "Ah... honestly? I have no idea where my phone's been all week. Maybe Alfred found it stuffed between some cushions when I was feverish and started charging it last night. Or it was in my backpack until then. I honestly can't remember what went on with my phone. Maybe I should get it checked out."

"Uh huh..." Again Barbara didn't believe him.

He slumped his shoulders and gave her a mild glare, annoyed. "Not everyone lives for their phone Babs. Sometimes I just forget it even exists. Losing track of it while I'm sick isn't that unusual. You should see where Bruce's end up."

"In some weird lady's bra?" Her commentary was starting to make the young man very uncomfortable.

"I was going to say purse..."

"Right..." She pivoted her head to the side, eyeing him. "If you were so sick, why weren't you in your bedroom then? I came by Tuesday to check on you, and you were not in here."

This took the teen for a spin. How to explain this one... "What were you doing in my room?!"

"Stalking you, through the window." She glared lightly, mentally telling him she knew more than he did. "You're avoiding the question. From what I saw, your room hardly looked lived in since it was last cleaned. Where were you if you weren't here? Hm?"

Shaking his head at her actions, he thought long and hard (making a show of it) about how to respond. He was 'sick', so... "I... think that was the day I threw up. All over my bed." He rubbed his neck, thinking out loud as the implications settled into the little detective's head. "Alfred had me vegging in the theater room until the place was clean again... I think I passed out before I could get back in bed and they just let me sleep there for a while. What time did you get by?"

Sheepish, the girl decided to drop it. Just what he wanted. "After school. Man I feel dumb."

"Why? Because you didn't believe I was sick?" A smirk crossed his face as he watched her. "I only got better yesterday. It's a miracle I didn't end up in the hospital with all the trouble I was having. Barely remember it but still..."

"I was beginning to think you were Robin."

Dick stilled, staring at her. What? She elaborated, more to herself than anyone. "I mean, you can fight, are a great acrobat, have enough money for those gadgets, have the worst excuses for missing school, and do horrible puns. Add to it Bruce's behavior, mysterious past, and the timing of his return to Gotham and Batman's appearance, plus when he took you in and Robin debut, and it seemed so logical. How could you not be Robin? Or Mr. Wayne Batman?"

"That's... an interesting conclusion." Wow Barb was smart. He was going to have to be careful with this girl. Well if he convinced Bruce to just let her know, maybe he wouldn't have to be.

"I mean, I already figured out who that archer girl Artemis is." The boy did his best not to grimace at how well she figured things out. "She really needs a less obvious name. No wonder you took a picture with her the first day she came to our school. You figured it out too."

That was one he was not getting out of. Sighing, he just accepted it. "Yeah. She kinda saved my hide that summer and I thought it'd be fun to do that. Still haven't figured out how to properly thank her..."

"Could delete that photo."

"Not in your life. Don't we have a project to work on?" It was time to get off the subject. Fast. "Alfred's still worried about my health and I don't think you want what I had."

Begrudgingly the girl let it go and they managed to get everything done before the butler shooed her out of there. Honestly it was quite impressive how much she figured out on her own, and he wasn't sure if he knocked the Robin connection out of her head. Somehow he doubted it.

Sighing to himself now, Dick put the last math assignment to the side to stretch out his aching limbs. Until he was caught up, Robin was benched. Well at least Robin existed there. His mind wandered to the other world he left the previous day and wondered how they were going to proceed from then on. He had a habit of changing people's lives, and he was certain a lot of things would change there soon enough. Hopefully all for the better. "Maybe I'll go back there some day."

"I certainly hope not."

The teen jerked up at the sound of his father's voice and grinned. It was so good to have the man completely at his side again. The other one was too grumpy and was only starting to mellow before he left. This one was just right. Bruce looked over his pile of papers absently as he continued to speak. "We had a devil of a time trying to get you back here. The world seemed to be ending without you."

"I bet," Dick joked. He remembered the greeting he got from everyone. Wally was near tears, though he would forever deny it.

"This all you have left?"

The lad gave a heavy sigh, pointing to all the things he had to do still. "It's a lot more than it looks. I only finished up math assignments, but when I get back to school, I have two tests to make up. At least the project got an extension and that's done."

"Hm." Bruce found the list, twisting his lips in thought. Dick knew that look, and it sparked some hope in him. Maybe Robin wasn't going to be as grounded as he thought he was. "Long list."

"Yep."

"How about a break?" The man set the list back down and looked back to his son. "Some training before dinner would do you good."

The teen grinned from ear to ear, pushing away from his desk. "What kind of training?"

"Hand-eye coordination."

"One on one?"

"If you can manage that." The subtle smile on his face grew with each passing second. Man they missed this.

"You're on!" He scrambled to get his tennis shoes on while Bruce headed out the door to their indoor court. This was going to be a great game. But most of all, it was just great to be home.

END

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><p>AN: Thank you all for reading _Where's Robin?_ and it's sister story _Without Me_, and tolerating the long wait for the ending this past year. Seriously, I did not intend to take any time off from this story, but i have a horribly short attention span some times. I have one story from when i was five that I still haven't finished. yeah, I take that long. Hopefully this has satisfied everyone's needs and filled in all the plot holes I left open. If I haven't... whoops. I did try. The reason I took so long is simply the load of other things I did since. Having that many projects running at once through my head kinda makes it hard to keep track of everything. But hey! It's done!

So again, thank you all for reading. Requests for a sequel to these two stories are appreciated, but not likely to happen. If you wish to use the concept of both realities in the future for your own works but want to reference this, just PM me and I am very willing to help. Just don't have a plot for it personally. To everyone watching, I do request you remove this story and _Without Me_ from your alerts so you have room to watch others who are just as good if not better than this. Do fave though so you can read it all again. It lets me know how many people read everything and loved it.

One day I will finish _Fixing Damian_, just not today. I've learned a lot from my long hiatuses so other than that one and the series of One shots I have running, I've stopped posting long fics until they're done on my compy. That's the last fic you have to wait on really from now on. Until my next project, _A Son For A Son_. V^^V


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